LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 8 

Shelf -t-S-4-- 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



# 



* 



TRUTH WITHOUT CONTROVERSY s 

A SERIES OF 




INTENDED PRINCIPALLY 

FOR YOUNG PROFESSORS 

or 



RELIGION. 




BY R. SMITH, A. M. 

FASTOR OE THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BALLSTON, N. Y. 



SARATOGA SPRINGS : 

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY G. M. DAVISON, 




Northern District of New-York, to wit : 

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the thirteenth 
day of February, in the forty-eighth year of the In- 

(L. S.) dependence of the United States of America, A. D, 
1824, G. M. Davison, of the said District, has deposi- 
ted in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof 
he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit : 

" Truth without Controversy : a series of Doctrinal Lectures, 
intended principally for Young Professors of Religion. Bv R, 
Smith, A. M. Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Ballston, N*. Y." 

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, en- 
titled " An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the 
copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors 
of such copies, during the times therein mentioned ;" and also, 
to the act, entitled " An act suplementary to an act, entitled 4 An 
act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of 
Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such 
copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the 
benefits thereof to the arts of Designing, Engraving, and Etching 
historical and other prints." 

RICHARD R. LANSING, 

Clerk of the Northern District of New+York. 



PREFACE, 



Soon after the great revival, with which it pleas- 
ed God to visit this region in 1820, a venerable 
father in the ministry made me the following re- 
mark : ' You also, I understand, have had a great 
gathering ; and now, my young friend, if, in your 
whole life, you shall be the means of building up and 
establishing in the faith those whom God has given 
you, you will have done a great service. 5 

I have thought much of this remark. Without 
ceasing to labour for new revivals, the pastor who 
has been blessed with the gathering of numerous 
hopeful converts at one season, ought never to ima- 
gine he labours in vain, while those converts remain 
to be instructed and sanctified 5 and where, as in 
most instances, they consist principally of young peo- 
ple, the difficulty, as well as the desireableness of es- 
tablishing them in the faith, will daily enlarge his 
views of the importance of this labour* 

We early turned our attention, therefore, to the 
claims of our numerous young professors ; but diffi- 
culties occurred in adopting a mode of instruction? 
suitable to their condition. In a country congrega- 
tion, Bible classes cannot be maintained more than 



Vlll 



PREFACE. 



a few months in the year 5 and for that portion, who 
were able to attend, we found the want of a suitable 
help to the study of the sacred oracles. 

JffiDowePs Questions were evidently intended for 
children rather than young professors \ and it is no 
disparagement to the excellency of most of our books 
of doctrinal instruction to say, that neither their size 
or style of teaching controverted truths, do very 
much recommend them to young professors of reli- 
gion. 

We have commonly conducted our Bible classes, 
therefore, simply with the use of the sacred volume 
— drawing out and establishing such doctrines and 
duties as the lessons seemed fairly to teach, in our 
own language ; and this has led, eventually, to a 
course of lectures on the same subjects, and with 
the same object* 

At first it was only expected that the pupils would 
take notes of the leading proofs and arguments, with 
a view to rehearsing them in our classes : the repeat- 
ed request of this part of my charge, at length indu- 
ced me to consent that the lectures should be put in- 
to a printed form ; and subsequently to the issuing of 
the first proposals, they were enlarged, at the sugges- 
tion of an intelligent friend, to their present number 
and dimensions. 

The style of these discourses is more formal than 
it would have been, had not the writer been anxious 



PREFACE. 



to supply a useful reference to scripture on essential 
points of doctrine 5 and sensible, at the same time, 
that, though firmly believing what is asserted, he 
might be mistaken, he would therefore speak with 
caution. 

He could never satisfy himself, moreover, that 
the mere discussion of a doctrine, however impor- 
tant, could answer all the objects of preaching ; and 
the lectures have, in consequence, closed more or less 
in the style of exhortation. 

But the feature most aimed at in the forming of 
these discourses, has been simply the affirmative 
method of argument. This plan was attended with dif- 
ficulties ; but it has been pursued, both from the con- 
viction that many, not belonging to us in denomination, 
ought not to be wounded in their feelings, by a zeal 
for non-essential points of difference 5 and that, 
were our object what it is not, to win a dissenting 
brother, there is the least of all encouragement in as- 
sailing him with controversy. 

Truth is self-balanced ; and the world need not, 
every day, be told what is opposed to it. 

It is believed, therefore, nothing will be found in 
these discourses to offend any denomination of evan- 
gelical christians ; and should they be read by any 
whose essential difference of views do not assign 
them to this class, the affirmative plan of our argu- 
ment will still leave that assignment to themselves. 



PREFACE, 



If the writer knows any tning of his own hearty 
he has but one object in goffering these lectures to 
be published : it is to promote, if possible, the bet- 
ter doctrinal instruction of the rising generation ; and 
espec:a]i) r of those whom he hopes he may regard in 
the endearing relation of spiritual children. 

THE AUTHOR, 

Ballstox, Sept, 26, 182S e 



CONTENTS. 



LECTURE I. 

The Inspiration of Scripture, ... . ...... . 13 

LECTURE II. 

The Being and Attributes of God, ........ 9 27 

LECTURE III. 

The Trinity, or Mode of God's Existence, 45 

LECTURE IV. 

The Divinity and Humanity of Christ, 65 

LECTURE V. 

Person and Character of the Holy Spirit, ...... 91 

LECTURE VI. 
The Doctrines of a Trinity Applied, ..Ill 

LECTURE VII. 
The Original and Present State of Man, 131 

LECTURE VIII. 
The Covenant of Grace, 151 

LECTURE IX. 
Regeneration, 17i 

LECTURE X, 

Faith and Repentance, 189 

LECTURE XL 
Justification and Sancthication, » • • • • 207 



xii 



CONTENTS* 



LECTURE XII- 
The Resurrection, 225 

LECTURE XIII. 
The Doctrine of a future Judgment, 247 

LECTURE XIV. 
The Value of Redemption, 269 

ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 

CHRIST THE CONQUEROR OF DEATH, AND THE FRIEND IN JUDG- 
MENT. 

Sermon I . . , 295 

Sermon It . . . . . - 315 



LECTURE X. 



THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE. 

II PETER I. 19, 

We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereun- 
to ye do well, that ye take heed, until the day dawn f 
and the day-star arise in your hearts. 

I have intended, for some time, to attempt 
a course of lectures, comprising the outlines 
of the principal doctrines in theology, I am 
aware, that even among an enlightened and 
christianized people, it is often necessary to 
call the attention to these truths; and my 
wish has been, that my young people, espe- 
cially, might enjoy the means of obtaining a 
regular and connected view of them. I have, 
therefore, particularly to invite their atten- 
tion to these lectures. We shall spend a 
part of each sabbath, for some time, in these 
discussions, and endeavour to render them 
as plain and practicable as possible. 

Let us commence, this morning, with the 
subject of Inspiration. 

Much, we know, might be said on the sub* 



2 



14 



LECTURE L 



ject of Natural Religion, and, in a course of 
systematick theology, that is usually first ta- 
ken up. But we can dispense with the glim- 
mering of stars, when we have the light of 
the sun ; and if we can, to-day, prove that 
the Bible is truly the inspired word of God, we 
shall have laid an important foundation for 
all that is to follow. 

The evidences of inspiration are com- 
monly divided into two classes-^— externa/ and 
internal. 

I. Of the External Evidences. And here 
we shall mention, at present, only two — that 
of Prophecy, and that of Miracles. 

1. Of Prophecy. A man, disposed to exam- 
ine this subject, finds from history, that the 
book we call the Bible, has been in existence 
many thousand years ; the New Testament 
nearly two thousand years, and the Old Tes- 
tament much longer. But in this book, he 
finds certain prophecies, which purport to 
have been written before the events to which 
they allude ; and they profess the truth on 
this subject There can be no doubt, that 
there lived such a man as the prophet Isai- 
ah, in the reign of Hezekiah, king of Ju- 
dah, while some of the events which he 
prophecied, such as the birth of Christ, and 
the pr eaching of the gospel to the Gentiles f 



LECTURE I. 



15 



did not transpire until many hundred years 
afterwards. There can be still less doubt, that 
there lived such a personage as Jesus Christ, 
in the reign of Tiberius Caesar of Rome ; 
but many of the events which he predicted, 
such as the destruction of Jerusalem, and 
the dispersion of the Jews, have since trans- 
pired, or are now passing before our eyes. 
These prophets spoke by the Spirit of God, 
then, and were true men. So much of testi- 
mony as they give to the inspiration of scrip- 
ture, is. therefore, valid. But both of these 
prophets, as well as many others, have quo- 
ted the scriptures as true, and repeatedly call- 
ed trie whole of them the word of God. (See 
Isai. xl. 8. and John xviL 17.) 

2. The proof of Miracles. This Saviour, 
moreover, professed to work miracles ; and 
the express object of these miracles was, to 
prove that his doctrine was true, and that 
he came from God. The works that I do. said 
he. they testify of me. If he were a wicked 
being, and wrought miracles by magick, he 
would not have wrought them to prove such 
doctrines ; if he were an unassisted being, he 
could not have wrought them at all. But 
were miracles actually 7 wrought ? A large 
number of men, who wrote the history of 
th°se miracles, declare that they witnessed 
them. (See Acts ii. 32, and i Cor, xv. 6.) 



16 



LECTURE t. 



So many witnesses, and to so great a variety 
of miracles, could hardly have been deceiv- 
ed ; and that they would not w r illingly give 
false testimony to others, is sufficiently mani- 
fest, from the consideration of the circum- 
stances in which they gave it. They were a 
poor, weak, and despised party ; it was in fa- 
vour of a new and unpopular religion they 
testified ; they had nothing to gain in this 
"world from their testimony ; and yet they sub- 
mitted to pain, and poverty, and contempt, 
and death itself, rather than yield the fact 
that these miracles had been witnessed by 
them. Nothing like this can be found in tes- 
timony of any other religion under heaven. 
Other men have wrote of miracles ; but not 
of miracles which they had themselves seen. 
Other miracles have been said to be wrought, 
but they were always in favour of a religion 
already received, and popluar in the eyes 
of rnen ; and other men have even died in 
testimony of supposed truth ; but it was al- 
ways for the testimony of opinions, that they 
died, but never, as in this case, in testimony 
of facts. The miracles of revelation do, 
therefore, incontestibly prove its truth. 

II. The second class of evidences in favour 
of the inspiration of the scriptures, are call- 
ed internal evidences. The examiner holds 



LECTURE L 



17 



this sacred volume in his hand, and he looks 
away now from all historical evidences to 
see what proof the book contains in itself— 
He will find, 

1. That it is free from all absurd, impure and 
puerile representations, such as are unworthy of 
divine revelation. We have only to compare 
the Bible with a single chapter of the Koran, 
or any of those apocryphal books, which 
have attempted to imitate it, and we shall 
see that it came from a higher and a holier 
hand. Every where it is consistent, chaste, 
and altogether dignified, 

2. Its doctrines and representations, are spir- 
itual as well as pure, and they promote the 
happiness of those who recieve them. This 
proves that they did not come from a wick- 
ed being, and the superior degree in which 
they effect this happiness, above all other 
books, seems to refer them to a higher author- 
ity. The law of the Lord, said David, and 
experience has proved it to be true — the law 
of the Lord is perfect, converting the souL (Ps. 
xix.) In order to this, 

3. They teach a remarkable morality. The 
ethics or moral principles of all other books 
are such, as are calculated to recommend 
them to men, either because they are neces-^ 
sary for present good, or in themselves a? 



18 



LECTURE 



greoahle to the propensities of our nature. 
The morality of the Bible is precisely dif- 
ferent. Every where it inculcates self-deni- 
al, and refers the motives for duty, not so 
much to the present as a future world. Take 
the following specimens of this: — Thou shalt 
love thy -neighbour as thyself. Avenge not your- 
selves ; In honour prefering one another. Love- 
your enemies, bless them that curse you, that ye 
may be the children of your Father in heaven ; for 
ht maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and sendeth 
his rain on the just and on the unjust. 

And it will mightily strengthen this part 
of our argument, if w e look for a moment at 
the effect w hich this bible morality produces. 
Universally, w here the Bible is received, the 
happiest consequences follow ; and in no 
place, where it is not received, are men ei- 
ther civilized, free, or happy. The examin- 
er might search from Greenland to the Cape 
of Good Hope, and trace the boundaries of 
every bright and happy spot, by the extent to 
which the Bible had been circulated; he 
might then run over the map of Turkey, in- 
ternal Asia, the Islands of the sea, and every 
other region, not visited by this volume, and 
look there in vain for one substantial vestige 
of elevated, social, or religious morality. It 
is a remarkable fact, that there is not found in 



LECTURE L 



19 



all the writings of heathen antiquity, a single 
allusion to such a phenomenon as a radical 
change of moral character* Such a testimo- 
ny in favour of the Bible, is invaluable. 

4. This volume gives a true and consistent at- 
count of the character of man. Human na- 
ture is found to be corrupt, fickle and un- 
faithful, unjust, proud, and altogether selfish. 
Is it not remarkable, then, on any other 
supposition, than that the Bible is of God, 
that, many thousand years ago, we should 
have had such representations on this sub- 
ject as the following ? The whole imagination 
of the V oughts of his heart was only evil, continu- 
ally. (Gen. vi. 5.) Trust ye not in any broth- 
er* for every brother icill utterly supplant, and ev- 
ery neighbour mitt walk with slanders. (Jer. ix, 
4.) And men shall be lovers of their own selves, 
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient 
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural af- 
fection, truce breakers, fcdse accusers, Incontinent, 
fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, 
heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more than 
lovers of God, (ii Tim. iii. 2, 3, 4.) Let any 
person read the i 4th Psalm, or the 1st and 2d 
chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, and 
compare these descriptions with what he has 
learned of human nature by experience! and 



20 



LECTURE L 



let him say whether they are not true rep- 
resentations. 

5. These scriptures give a sublime and consis- 
tent account of many subjects which arc not discuss- 
ed elsewhere, or if discussed at all, it is evidently in 
a manner either imperfect or absurd. Such is the 
account which they give of the character of 
God, of the origin of the world, and of the 
plan of redemption. We are not ignorant that 
traces of all these truths are to be found in oth- 
er writings ; and it is a corroboration of our 
argument, that they are ; because these tra- 
ces have undoubtedly been borrowed from 
revelation. But what is the consistency and 
dignity of these hints of heathen writers, 
when compared with the representation^ of 
the Bible? The heathen character of God 
is that of a changeable, unjust, and impure 
tyrant. They imagined, among other things, 
that the world was hatched from an egg, and 
that men had their origin from the teeth of 
serpents. And, for the notion of redemption, 
they actually seemed to have retained none 
of it, further than in the symbol of sacrifices^ 
which they have abused to every cruel and 
obscene enormity. Now, were we to com- 
pare with these, the sublime, consistent and 
clear revelations of scripture, on the same 
points, we should be prepared to believe 



LECTURE I. 



21 



that these are the teachings of God ; and that 
the reason -why other writers have not suc- 
ceeded here, is because these subjects were 
confessedly above them. 

6. It is another remarkable proof of the divin- 
ity °f the scriptures, that the writers seem entirely 
indifferent to the opinions of men. They record 
their own faults as frequently, or more fre- 
quently, than the faults of others ; they nev- 
er stop to explain apparent difficulties in 
their doctrines and representations, which 
other writers so often think it necessary to 
do ; and they give no ornament, no exager- 
ated description of the character of their 
heroes. 

Jesus Christ is the hero of the New Testa- 
ment ; but if you reflect, you will remember 
that there is scarce a verse directly descrip- 
tive of his character in the book, except in 
those instances where other writers are quo- 
ted, to show that he had been predicted. 
The writers of the New Testament do not in- 
dulge in description ; they simply tell you 
of the acts and sayings of Jesus Christ, and 
leave you to infer his character. These, I 
confess, have always appeared to me among 
the strongest proofs of the truth and honesty 
of these writers ; it looks so much like sin- 
cerity, like a consciousness of being -right* 



LECTURE L 



and of regarding a higher object than that of 
satisfying men, that it must have weight 
with every observing reader. They seem, in 
fact, to have entirely disregarded the opinions 
of men. 

7. The harmony of these writers, is another 
proof. There is not a contradiction, or a 
counter sentiment or representation in the 
whole Bible. Not even a plausible represen- 
tation can be made out to establish such a 
blemish ; for there are no appearances of 
such discrepancies, which cannot easily be, 
and have not been repeatedly reconciled. 
Now, in so great a number of books, this 
harmony is remarkable ; and it is the more 
remarkable, when we consider the great vari- 
ety of writers, and compass of time, which 
have been occupied to furnish the Bible. A- 
bout 30 different writers were its authors, and 
about 1800 years intervened from the com- 
mencement to the finishing of this book ; and 
yet this unbroken thread of harmony runs 
throughout the whole, is this accountable 
on any other supposition, than that these 
men spoke as they were inspired of God ? 

8. Some of the expressions and conceptions of 
the Bible, seem, evidently, to be more than human, 
Read Moses' description of God's appear- 
ance to the seventy Elders of Israel ob 



LECTURE I. 23 



Mount Sinai : read EzekiePs visions of the 
cherubim : read Isaiah's prophecy, and 
Habbakuk's prayer : read, especially, and 
ponder well, David's description of the de- 
scent of the Almighty in the 18th Psalm; and 
if you are not ready to acknowledge, that 
there is a sublimity, both of thought and ex- 
pression, more than human in the scriptures, 
I am much mistaken. No ; these are figures 
and illustrations which never sprang from hu- 
man intellect alone ; they came from above; 
they are the eloquence of heaven ! 

9. We might further mention, in proof of 
the authenticity of these scriptures,//^ the ac- 
counts they incidentally give of the manners, customs, 
history, and geography of the countries, where they 
were written, are found to be true. We cannot go 
into this subject ; but you may receive the fact 
on authority ; it is really so ; and 1 have to 
recommend, my young friends, that if you ev- 
er meet with a book called Harmeis Observa- 
tions, or another, on Oriental Manners and Cus- 
toms, by the Rev. George Burder, you will 
give them a reading, for this purpose, 

10. The concluding argument which I 
have to offer, for the inspiration of the scrip- 
tures, is, that they tend to honour and glorify 
God. Every book that has been written by 
man has some leading object, and, without 



24 



LECTURE I. 



much difficulty, that object can usually be 
seen. The object and tendency of the Bi- 
ble is to give honour and glory to God. It 
puts him at the head and origin of all things, 
and of this Bible among the rest; it contrives 
to illustrate his wisdom, and power, and 
goodness, by every institution it describes, 
and every event which it records. It pla- 
ces all creatures ; angels, men, and beasts, 
in humble dependence at his feet ; and it 
represents the working and tendency of all 
these creatures, whether they be thrones, or do- 
minions, or principalities and powers ; whether 
they he things in heaven, or things in earth, as fi- 
nally setting up his own august and never 
failing dominion, that God might be all in all. 

This is not a low, or partial, or unhal- 
lowed object ; it is extended, holy, and wor- 
thy of God ; and the book which tends to 
promote this object, must be heavenly. Such, 
and so many are the proofs from which we 
establish the inspiration of the scriptures. 
Some of them directly establish their inspi- 
ration, and others only that the apostles and 
some other writers of scripture were true 
and honest men. But this last is to the same 
purpose ; for if these men were true and 
honest, then they spoke the truth; theycer- 



LECTURE I. 



25 



tainly do quote the scriptures as divine. 
One of them has said expressly, that all scrip- 
ture is given by inspiration of God ; (2 Tim, 
iii. 16.) and another, that holy men of God 
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 
Pet. i. 21.) 

But are we sure, that we have the same 
scriptures to which these writers referred, 
and which they assisted to furnish ? Every 
thing else changes, and books are not unfre- 
quently lost or corrupted. How do we know 
that we have the true scriptures ? I answer : 
Most of the proofs, on which we have insis- 
ted, will apply to the volume we now have, 
for we have rested principally on internal evi- 
dences. But we are not wanting in histori- 
cal proof. It is certain, from Josephus, that 
the same number of books, as now constitute 
the Old Testament, were in existence in our 
Saviour's time ; and these are they to which 
he and his apostles so often referred. It is 
certain too, that all the books which now 
constitute the New Testament, were collect- 
ed before the close of the third century ; for 
catalogues were then made of them, and 
have come down to us. 

And now, that these books have not been 
corrupted and made to speak a different lan- 
guage, or teach different doctrines from those 

3 



26 



LECTURE I. 



originally left us, we have this evidence, that 
all the various readings, in all the ancient man- 
uscripts, both Greek and Hebrew, have been 
repeatedly collected and compared, by learn- 
ed men ; and the result has been, " that al- 
though these various readings amount to 
more than 30,000, they do not, in any in- 
stance, materially alter the sense."* 

After this, we ought to rest pretty well as- 
sured, that the Bible we now possess, is that 
very Bible, which was made up by apostles 
and prophets ; and that all the preceding 
proofs stand fair in favour of its inspiration. 

*See the ultimate decision of Kennicutt, after 20 years study of 
the manuscript copies of the Old Testament ; and a similar de- 
cision upon those of the New Testament, by Mill, Wetstein and 
Home, 



LECTURE II. 



THE BEING AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD, 



HEBREWS xi. 6. 

He that cometh unto God. must believe that he is, and 
that he is a rewarded of them that diligently seek 
him . 

It is taught in this text, that some intelli- 
gent belief of the existence and attributes of 
God is necessary, in order to our worshipping 
him, or enjoying his favour. It is this truth 
that operates as a principal argument for 
calling your attention again to our course of 
doctrinal lectures. It is certainly true, that 
without some right knowledge of God, no 
man can acceptably worship him. This 
great subject, the being and attributes of God, 
stands next in order, therefore, to what has 
been already considered. 

We know nothing, clearly, concerning God, 
except from what he has revealed in his 
word. We have much reason to rejoice, 
therefore, in that light of revelation, the truth 
and inspiration of which have already been 



28 



LECTURE II. 



established. Without this light of revela- 
tion, we might feel, my brethren, as a cer- 
tain heathen did on this subject. On being; 
asked what he thought of the nature of God, 
he desired a day to consider it, before he 
gave his answer. At the end of the day, al- 
lowed for making up his mind, he desired 
another ; and at the end of that, another ; and 
finally, at the close of the third day, confess- 
ed, that the more he thought of the subject, the 
more inscrutible it appeared to him, and the more 
unwilling he felt to give an answer ! 

But even with the light of revelation, we 
are in difficulty ; not but that we can under- 
stand well enough, what it says on this sub- 
ject ; but because the nature of the subject is 
so far beyond our comprehension. We know 
not the essence of material things. Much 
less can we conceive of the essence of spir- 
i tual beings • and least of all. of an Infinite 
Spirit, such as is God, I assure you, breth- 
ren, I approach the subject with awful rev- 
erence. I do feel my incompetency, even to 
collect and arrange the scriptures upon it ; 
and I sincerely request your mutual prayers 
and assistance. 

Who then is that mysterious being that we 
call God ? What are his nature and attri- 



LECTURE II. 



29 



Bates, so far as be lias revealed them unto us 
if) his word ? The Bible answers : 

I. That he is a Spirit. God is a Spirit, and 
they that worship him, must worship him in spir- 
it and in truth, (John iv. 24,) But when we 
have repeated this text, we have said all we 
can profitably say concerning the essence of 
Deity. Have you any correct notion, my 
brethren, what a spirit is ? Can you con- 
ceive of a being, that has neither shape nor 
likeness to any shape you have ever seen ? 
Of a substance, that is not a substance in the 
usual sense of substance ? A being, that could 
extend through all substances, with which 
w r e are acquainted, and not be impeded by 
them ? A being, that might lie in your eye 
and not be seen ? be held in your hand and 
not be felt ? cast in a balance and not be 
weighed ? Can you conceive of such a being, 
as possessing the most distinct and per- 
fect idendity ? Of having all the properties of 
a person — of understanding — of willing— of the 
most energetic action ? Can you conceive of 
such a being ? I confess I cannot ; but such 
a being is that mysterious existence we call 
God ; for saith the scripture, he is a Spirit ? 

2. The proper name of this existence, is Je- 
hovah. / am Jehovah, that is my name ; and 

my glory I will not give to another. (Isai. xliL 

3 # 



30 



LECTURE If, 



8.) God, indeed, has other names given l& 
him in scripture ; but they are generally de- 
scriptive of offices or attributes, and attributes f 
which might belong to others. Thus, he is call- 
ed Ale and Aleim, because these words, in 
the original, refer to his covenant faithfulness, 
And sometimes they are compounded ; as 
Al-Shadbai, God the munificent ; Al-Sabbaoth, 
the God of armies, and many others : but this 
name, Jehovah, seems descriptive of his es- 
sential being, or incommunicable attributes, 
and is most appropriately his own. In the origin- 
al, it means, he who is, or was, simply and abso- 
lutely, (see Exod. in. 14;) of course, it im- 
plies independent, past, present and future exis- 
tence. He who was, and is, and is to come, is the 
expression of it, in the New Testament. But 
this is only a translation ; and I have scarce a 
doubt, that the Hebrew language has been 
preserved for this very reason, amoi>g others, 
that no other language can so properly ex- 
press God's own name, as that in which he 
first communicated it. Our names of God 
do not fully reach the meaning of Jehovah ; 
and if they did, they would not be the very 
name, which this Being has chosen to give 
himself. 

For proof that this name, Jehovah, belongs 
mly to the Eternal Deity, consult Amos v, 



LECTURE II, 



31 



8th ; ix. 6th, and Exod. xv. 3d. We proceed 
with the attributes of this Being : He is, in 
the 

3d place, One. " Hear, oh Israel, the Lord 
our God is one Lord, or Jehovah" And that 
he is exclusively so, we hear again from the 
prophet Isaiah : / am He ; before me there 
was no God formed, neither shall there be after 
me ; /, even 1, am the Lord, and besides me 
there isno Saviour, (xliii. 10 and 11.) Indeed, 
it is evident, from the nature of things, that 
God can neither be divided, nor if he could, 
would it be possible for two Supreme Beings 
to co-exist. The very idea of God is that 
he is infinite ; but if he were divided, or if 
there could be another God, each could not 
be infinite : for there is then something in 
each, which the other does not possess. How 
absurd, for instance, to talk of two Almighty 
Beings, when the very idea of one Almigh- 
ty Being is, that he has all the power of the 
universe ; and so of any other infinite attri- 
bute. We wish to have it strongly impress- 
ed, that we hold strictly to the unity of Jeho- 
vah's essence. When we come to speak of the 
mode in which that essence exists, we may 
say something further on this subject ; at 
present, let it be remembered, that it is the 



•32 



LECTURE II. 



creed, not only of the Bible and reason, but 
of the whole church, that God is one. 

4, God is immense. " Canst thou, by search- 
ing, find out God ? Canst thou find out the Al- 
mighty to perfection ? It is high as heaven, 
what canst thou do f Deeper than hell, ivhat canst 
thou know ? The measure thereof is longer than 
the earth, and broader than the sea" (Job. xL 
7, 8, and 9.) 

By the immensity of God, is meant, uow f 
the same as his infinity : that in all his per- 
fections he is beyond limits ; his power, his 
wisdom, and every other attribute, is abso- 
lutely immeasurable ; not only past finding out 
by us, but actually beyond all measurement. 

We cannot take the most simple of his at- 
tributes, and trace it outward, without find- 
ing it to go beyond our research. We may 
compare it, and illustrate it by saying, as the 
prophet does of his strength, that it takes up 
the hills, and spans the heavens ; but still we 
have only told what is not a match for it. 
What the real extent of the attribute is, we 
conceive not, nor can we conceive it. It is 
" an ocean of infinities, where all our thoughts 
are drowned." For a further and most sub- 
lime representation of this subject, see the 
145th Psalm, 3d verse, and Isaiah xl. from 
12th to the l?th verse. 



LECTURE II. 



33 



5. God is eternal He is called in his word, 
the King eternal, immortal and invisible. ( I Tim. 
i. 17.) The high and lofty One, who inhabiteth 
eternity. (Isai. Ivii. 15.) The God whom 
Abraham worshipped, was Jehovah, the Ever- 
lasting God. (Gen. xxi. 33.) And that he en- 
dures to eternity, as well as exists from eter- 
nity, is affirmed in the 90th Psalm : from ev- 
erlasting to everlasting, thou art God. God's 
eternity may be proved, moreover, from the 
consideration that he exists independently, 
or in and of himself Of coarse, there never 
was a time when he did not exist, unless you 
are willing to admit the absurdity that he ex- 
isted before he existed, and began the pro- 
duction of his own existence. But it is un- 
necessary to resort to this proof, with such 
clear and abundant scriptures before us. — 
I am afraid, besides, to attempt to reason on 
such a subject. 1 feel much more like fall- 
ing down and worshipping ; for surely, if there 
be any subject calculated to overwhelm us, 
it is this. We talk of the difficulties of the 
doctrines of a Trinity ; but I challenge any 
one to show wherein such a doctrine involves 
greater mysteries than God's eternity. It is 
not only above reason, but it does, in some 
things, seem to co jtradict reason. Let any one 
inform us, for instance, how an intelligent be^ 



34 



LECTURE II. 



ing can be self-existent, and yet eternal in 
that existence, and we will undertake to dis- 
pose of any other doctrine relating to the De- 
ity. But it does not become us to speculate 
here, we had better fall down, as Isaiah did, 
when he saw the glory of God, and join the 
cry of the adoring seraphim, Holy, holy, ho- 
ly is the Lord God Almighty ? 

But, 6thly, God is not only eternal, but 
immutable, " / am the Lord, says hm> I change 
not." (Malachi iii. 6.) " The Father of lights, 
with whom there is neither variableness nor 
shadow of turning" (James i. 17.) This 
immutability respects his whole nature, his 
existence, and all his attributes. Its truth is 
evident from reason. God's existence could 
never have changed ; for if so, it must either 
have changed for the better or for worse. But 
not for the worse could it change ; and if for 
better, then it was comparatively bad before. 
Neither could any of his attributes have chan- 
ged. Take his knowledge, for instance. If 
this has been increasing, then, in the back- 
ward reckoning, it is found decreasing ; and 
since you have an eternity to try it in. you 
will come to a period when it was very small j 
and, finally, when it was nothing ! And so of 
every other attribute ; they are all unchangea- 
ble. If they sometimes seem to change, as his 



LECTURE II. 



35 



will and purpose are sometimes represented 
as changing, they only seem to do so. When 
God is said to repeat, it is speaking after 
the manner of men, to describe his grief 
of mind towards sinners, and the change 
of his outward conduct towards them. And 
when he threatens a city or nation, but does 
not fulfil that threatening, the threat is always 
to be understood as conditional ; i. e. he would 
destroy them if they did not reform. There 
is nothing more certain respecting God, than 
that he is, in all his attributes, unchangeable,, 
We destroy his very nature, if we rob him 
of this. 

7. God is omniscient ; he knows all things. 
All things are naked and open to the eyes of him 
with whom we have to do. (Heb. iv. 13.) 
5 Known unto God are all his works, from the 
foundation of the world. (Acts xv. 18.) And 
that this knowledge is particular as well as 
universal, he is said to know ail the stars ; he 
calleth them all by their names f 9 yea, the hairs 
of our head are all numbered. (Luke xii. 7.) It 
w^ould be a profitable illustration of this 
attribute, perhaps, to consider how wise a man 
must be, who should know cdl things by a discern- 
ment of their causes. There have been men, 
it is said, who could look through all the pos- 
sible changes in a game of chess, and by 



36 



LECTURE U. 



tracing beforehand, the relative operation ot 
the whole complicated and extended move- 
ments, be, in every point, prepared to meet 
them. This is an astonishing effort ; but 
how much more astonishing would it be, to 
suppose a man, w ho could look, in the same 
way, through all the possible changes of na- 
ture and events, from creation down to eter- 
nity ! But this does, by no means, come up 
to God's knowledge, in as much as that he 
knows before hand, not only all the natural 
and moral changes in time, but all to the dura- 
tions of eternity; and this not by investigating 
them, but intuitively, as if they w ere all before 
him ! 

8. God is omnipotent. All things w T hich he 
w ills, he can do ; or he has all possible pow- 
er. My counsel shall stand, and I will do all 
my pleasure. (Isai. xlvi. 10.) Is any thing too 
hard for the Lord? (Gen. xviii. 14.) Behold 
he taketh up the isles as a very litde thing ; and 
Lebanon is not sufficient for him to burn, nor the 
beasts thereof for a burnt offering* 

Do we ask here, whether this implies that 
God can work contradictions ? whether he can 
deny himself, for instance, or be guilty of a 
lie ? The scripture has told us plainly that 
he cannot do these things ; but this does not 



LECTURE II. 



37 



take away from his omnipotence, since the 
object of divine power is only to do those - 
things which God wills to do. He cannot, 
surely, will to contradict his own perfections; 
but it would be a contradiction and an abate- 
ment of those perfections to suppose that 
God could lie. There can be no more per- 
fect power than this, for a Being to do whatso- 
ever he wills to do, and to have that will in fa- 
vour of every perfection. And how great is 
this power ! Divine benevolence, mercy and 
justice, are all infinite, and power to execute 
these, instantly follows the desire. 

<4 He bids the sun forbear to rise, 

14 The obedient sun forbears ; 
** His hand in sackcloth spreads the skies, 

•* And seals up all the stars. 

44 Mountains by his almighty wrath, 

44 From their old seats are torn ; 
* 4 He shakes the earth from south to north, 

44 And all her pillars, mourn." 

9. Nearly allied to God's power, is his do- 
minion, It only means that his rightful pow- 
er is extended to all creatures ; that obedi- 
ence to Him throughout the universe, is not 
only a duty, considering the eminence of His 
nature and the multitude of his benefits, but 
that this obedienc€ is, in some sense, render- 

4 



38 



LECTURE II. 



ed ; that God exercises a perfect controul 
over all events, and will, sooner or later, 
bring them to subserve and promote his infi- 
nite glory and excellence. So extensive is 
this dominion, as to reach every event, from 
the falling of a leaf, to the fall of Angels from 
Heaven ; so perfectly unfailing in every step 
of its progress, that at the great day of con- 
summation, every step will appear to have 
been a cause, and every cause a successful 
one, in the grand work of setting up the ever- 
lasting and august kingdom of Jehovah. For 
proof that God exercises such a dominion as 
this, consult Job ix. 12 — Daniel iv. 25 and 
34. 

10. In order to exercising such a dominion^ 
another attribute seems necessary, and that 
is furnished : Gad is omnipresent. We cannot 
see how God could govern all things without 
being every where present. We think we see 
evidences that he is present in all things, and 
the heathen thought so before us. But the 
scriptures come in to our aid, and settle the 
question. They represent all things as full 
of God. When they extend the works of 
creation to vast and almost immeasurable 
bounds, they always place God's presence 
beyond them ; and they represent him as 
searching every deep in which his enemies 



LECTURE LI. 



39 



hide themselves, and ready to meet and con- 
front the most distant wanderer from his 
throne. Whither shall I go f rom thy spirit, or 
whither shall I flee from thy presence ? If I as- 
cend into heaven, thou art there ; If I make my 
bed in httt, behold thou art there : If I take the 
wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost 
parts of the sea ; even there shall thy hand lead me 
and thy right hand shall hold me. (Ps. exxxix* 
7, 8, 9,10.) 

11. We add for the last of these attributes-, 
that God is perfectly free, or absolute. By 
this, it is not meant that God has no reason 
for his acts and counsels, or that these rea- 
sons are tyrannical and arbitrary; but that 
he does not seek these reasons principally 
out of himself: that he did not wait, as his 
creatures do, for contingent events to trans- 
pire, before he fixed his plan; that he had 
a previous plan, grounded on eternal and 
immutable reasons within himself ; and that 
he has never, for a moment, been disappoint- 
ed in all the steps, by which it is coming to 
pass. He doeth, says one, according to his will 
in the armies of heaven above, and among the 
inhabitants of this lower world. Dan. iv. 35. 
J\]y counsel shall stand, saith Jehovah, and I will 
do all my pleasure* It is a truth, made certain 
from the constitution of things, that there 



40 



LECTURE \U 



must be one being who is perfectly supreme : 
it is a glorious truth that this being is such 
an one as God. It may be a humbling truth 
too, to his creatures, and especially to sin- 
ful creatures ; but rather than question it, we 
had better say with Paul, shall the thing for* 
med say to him that formed it, why hast thou made 
me thus ? or if it be questioned, has not the 
potter power over the clay, to form one vessel un- 
to honour and another unto dishonour ? (Rom.ix.) 

We proceed, now, to consider some of 
those attributes of God, which are communi- 
cable. The distinction of God's attributes in- 
to communicable and incommunicable, is not ve- 
ry accurate, and yet there is ground for some 
such designation. It is certain, that God can- 
not communicate his eternity, omnipotence, 8fC* 
to others, and therefore these perfections are 
called incommunicable. But there are other at- 
tributes, such as his love, holiness, justice, a 
part of which, at least, his creatures may par- 
take ; and therefore these are called commu- 
nicable attributes. Some of these last, we 
are now to consider. 

God, then, in the 12th place, is just and 
true. By the last of these is understood his 
infinite remove from all deception and false- 
hood ; by the other, that he is so perfectly 
upright and disposed, from his very nature. 



LECTURE. II. 



41 



to do justly, that it is impossible righteous- 
ness performed, or sin committed, should not 
meet their reward. Shall not the Judge of all 
the earth do right ? asks one ; (see Gen. xviiL 
25 ;) as if it was a thing to be taken for gran- 
ted. Another represents " righteousness and 
judgment as the habitation of his throne," 
(Ps. xcvii. 2.) This justice is of a higher 
character than human justice, in that it nev- 
er fails of reaching its object ; in that this ob- 
ject is, in some of its actings, at least, not so 
much to reform as to vindicate ; and in that 
it never pardons, as human justice some- 
times does, for policy's sake, or through mere 
weakness, upon the bare confession of the 
subject. One argument is sufficient to prove 
this. If Divine justice could have pardoned 
the sinner, upon mere confession or repen- 
tance, then had the Father never punished 
sin in the sufferings of his innocent Son ; but 
he did so punish sin, and this, more than all 
other considerations, shows w hat a high and 
indispensable attribute his justice is. 

13. But once more. God is good and benevo- 
lent. " How excellent is thy loving kindness" say£ 
the Psalmist ; (xxxvi. 7 ;) therefore the chiU 
dren of men put their trust under the shadow of 
thy wings. This goodness is sometimes spo- 
ken of exclusively : " there is none good save one* 

4* 



42 



LECTURE II. 



says the Saviour, that is God" (Mark x. 18.) 
It is sometimes expressive of all the multi- 
tude of his benefits towards us ; as when it is 
said, the goodness of God leadeth us to repentance. 
But it is more frequently put, perhaps, for 
his benevolence, which is the same as love, or 
his infinite disposition to kindness. God is such 
a Being ; and in this last sense, the attribute 
includes several others, as 

1; Grace. In this, God is to be conceived 
as willing to do his creatures good, gratuit- 
ously, where no amiability in the subject in- 
vited it, and where there might even be an- 
tipathies to oppose it \ but still, he does it* 
and from his own mere good pleasure, 

The Lord passed by and proclaimed himself 
the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious. 
(Exod. xxxive 6.) Grace is also taken effect- 
ively, for its operation on the creation, and 
this from the same mere benevolence of 
God, as when we are so often said to be 
" saved by grace." 

2. Pity, is included under it. Pity res* 
pects God's feelings towards men on account 
of their misery ; and oh how tender and how 
great it is. Like as a father pitieth his chil- 
dren, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. 
For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth we are 
hut dust, (Ps. ciii. i3, 14.) 



LECTURE It 



43- 



3. His mercy is included. As pity res- 
pects the miserable, mercy, like grace, respects 
the undeserving. It is a higher attribute : it is 
one far more difficult for us to exercise ; and 
yet this is that very perfection of which, so 
to speak, God is made up, more than of any 
other. He keepeth mercy for thousands ; for- 
giving iniquity, transgression and sin. (Exod. 
xxxiv. 7.) Yea, his mercy endureth forever, 
(Whole of Ps. exxxvi.) 

Finally. God is holy " Glorious in holiness, 
fearful in praises, a God doing wonders" (Ex- 
od. xv. 11.) And one cried to another, saying? 
holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. 
(Isai. vi. 3.) With us, holiness is expressive 
either of some freedom from defect, or some 
positive valuable quality. In God, it includes 
both ; it is the combined excellence of all ♦ 
those attributes which have been ascribed 
to him. Would' we attempt to conceive of 
God ? s holiness, then we must put together 
all his attributes ; see how valuable each is 
in itself ; see how mutually they reflect glory 
and excellence on one another, and then 
look at the combined effect of the whole. 
What a fearful splendour now shines upon 
us ! A Being infinitely removed from all de- 
fect, combining every excellence that has yet 
been conceived or existed 5 and all these pos- 



U LECTURE II, 

■ 

sessed in an immeasurable degree. It is cal- 
culated by astronomers, that if the sun was 
only brought sufficiently near the earth, the 
increasing magnitude of its apparent orb, 
would, at length, fill the whole horizon of 
our vision, and we should see nothing, wher- 
ever we looked, but one vast and intolerable 
blaze of fire. So would it be, could we 
only approach sufficiently near to Deity. 
His spirituality, love, justice, holiness, would 
all increase, as we drew near to behold this 
great sight ; and finally, ere we had approx- 
imated, within ten thousand ages travel of 
his throne, we should find every other object 
lost, and our mortal bodies consumed by his 
all filling blaze of brightness ! 

" Lo ! these are parts of his ways ; but 
the thunder of his power, who can under- 
stand ? s ' Amen. 



LECTURE in. 



-THE TRINITY, OR MODE OF GOD'S EXISTENCE, 



GENESIS i. 26. 
And God said, let us make man in our own image* 

It has been already shown, in treating of 
the being and attributes of God, that He is 
oke ; and it was asserted, that this is the 
common belief of the whole Christian church, 
It remains, however, to enquire into the na- 
ture of that oneness, or to answer the ques- 
tion, What is the mode or manner of God's ex- 
istence ? 

On this subject, the doctrine of far the 
greater portion of the protestant church, and 
the one which undoubtedly is agreeable to 
Scripture, is that which I shall attempt to ex- 
press as follows, viz : That this one Deity, or 
God-head, exists by a distinction of what may be 
called persons ; that these persons are the Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost — a thr eefold distinction — 
and therefore by us is called, Trinity ; and that 
tach of these persons, though possessing some 



46 



LECTURE III, 



properties, which do not belong to the others, does\ 
nevertheless, truly and properly possess the eternal 
and supreme nature of God, the one as much so as 
the other I 

The doctrine stands in opposition, of 
course, to all those, who deny a distinction 
in the God-head^ by whatever name they 
are called, and who regard the two last nam- 
ed personages, to wit, the Son and the Ho- 
ly Ghost, as something less than the Supreme 
God. 

Whether these propositions are correct, and 
according to scripture, is what we shall now 
attempt to determine. Never, certainly, have 
I entered upon the discussion of a doctrine, 
with so much anxiety ; but it is not an anxiety 
which arises from any fear of not being able to 
establish it ; for I honestly do not think there 
is one doctrine of the Bible, which has so 
much and such various scripture for it as this. 
Nor does my anxiety arise from the anticipa- 
ted difficulties of my subject. If it seems to 
have these difficulties more than other doc- 
trines, I believe it is, principally, because it 
has been opposed more, and pursued farther, 
as being of vital consequence to Christianity. 
I have said, already, that I do not see why 
this doctrine is more inscrutable than any 
other truth relating to an infinite God ; and 



LECTURE HI; 



47 



I do really believe, if approached in a right 
spirit, it may be made to appear as plain and 
as convincing ; but I feel anxious, principal- 
ly, least I should not be able to make it as 
plain and convincing as I consider it impor- 
tant. I can hardly express to you, and per- 
haps it might not be judicious to do so, if I 
could, the eventful importance, which I con- 
sider attached to this subject. If it be a 
question whether the Deity exists in these 
equal persons, then, as it has been well said 
by one, " it is an awful question !" For if 
he does so exist, this distinction is in order 
to a most glorious manifestation of his mercy, 
and all our hope in the plan of redemption 
depends on it ; but if he do not, then a false 
view r of hope, wrong notions of God, the sin 
of aggravated idolatry, and a fearful train of 
other consequences, are justly chargeable 
Epon much the largest, and apparently the 
most pious portion of the Christian church, 
You will not wonder, then, that I feel anx- 
ious to do some justice to this subject. You 
will expect me to labour with all possible 
simplicity and plainness, to lay the scripture 
proofs of our opinion fully before you. 

Before we proceed farther, permit me to 
make a remark on the word person, as it 
has been used in describing the distinctions 



48 



LECTURE III. 



in the God-Lead. When thus used, Trini- 
tarian? do not mean by it, what is usually 
meant, when it is applied to other things ; 
that is, they do not mean, a totally separate 
identity of essence, as we do when we say, I 
am one person, and my friend is another. 
Such a separate identity, possessed of all the 
independent powers of consciousness, judg- 
ing and willing, would make, we grant, three 
different minds or Beings; and if each was 
God, there would undoubtedly be three 
Gods. But by the word person, w r hen appli- 
ed to the Trinity, we mean an existence 
w r hich has only, in some respects, different pro- 
perties from other persons in that Deity ; 
while in its consciousness, its judging, its 
willing, and counsel, and whatever belongs to 
the essentials of Deity, it is one. These 
persons, therefore, though Divine, are not 
other Gods ; nor does the notion of such a 
distinction, involve any known contradiction. 
The word person, is merely a term used out 
of its ordinary acceptation, for the sake of 
describing a distinction in the existence of God's 
essence, which we cannot, by a better word, 
express. 

The term person, thus explained, it is hop- 
ed our propositions will be intelligible. I now 
state them again, viz : That the Deity, or God- 



LECTURE III. 



49 



head exists with a distinction, which may pro- 
perhj be called of persons : that these persons are 
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; and that each of 
these, while possessing some properties of exis- 
tence, which are not common to the others, does, 
nevertheless, truly and properly possess the Divine 
and Supreme nature, one as much so as any other. 
We proceed to the proofs : and 1 offer, 

1. Those Scriptures of the Old Testament, 
where God is spoken of in the plural number. 
Pertinent to this, is the passage which has 
been selected for our text, And God said let 
us make man in our own image. (Gen. i. 26.) 
Here the name of God, Aleim, and the verb, 
to make, are both in the plural. And to show 
that it is not a casual usage, the plural 
pronoun our is also used, and the form of 
expression is repeated in chapter iii. 22. 
Behold the man has become as one of us, to know 
good and evil. Now the natural impression 
upon an unprejudiced reader of this pas- 
sage, would be, that God, as Deity, was spo- 
ken of in the plural number, because there 
was a distinction of persons concerned in 
creating man ; and that there were none of 
them inferior persons, who are here spoken 
of, I hope will be manifest from considera- 
tions hereafter to be adduced. 



5 



50 



LECTURE HI. 



But no ; it is said, that this form of ex- 
pression is used, merely for the sake of giv- 
ing dignity to the Deity, just as kings and no- 
bles sometimes use the plural for the singu- 
lar, and say we, instead of I, when only one 
person is intended. 

But this cannot be admitted ; for, 

Firsts the usage now adduced, is the in- 
vention of pride, for the purpose of giving 
false dignity to ambitious men ; and is there- 
fore unworthy of the Deity. 

Secondly. It is contrary to the idiom of the 
ancient, simple language of the Hebrews; 
Eben Ezra, a Jewish writer, declares this 
expressly, and says, that the royal idiom a- 
mong men, is the invention of pride, and in- 
troduced long after the creation. He la- 
bours to show, too, that in those instances, 
where the plural has been thought to be used 
for the singular, in reference to men, as in 
Gen. xxix. 27, more than one person is in- 
tended. 

But thirdly, and conclusively. If this were 
God's mode of speaking of himself, merely 
for dignity's sake, then might it have been 
expected, that he would always have used this 
form. It is most obvious, however, that the 
plural is not always used, nor generally. (See 
the first verse of the Bible. See also, chap- 



LECTURE III. 



51 



ter ii. verse 7 th, and almost innumerable oth- 
er passages, where the singular is used.) 
Sometimes, indeed, the nmsie of God is plu- 
ral, and the verb connected with it singu- 
lar, as if to express unity of action, combin- 
ed with plurality of persons. Sometimes 
both are singular ; and sometimes, as in our 
text, both are plural. Now, upon the sup- 
position of a distinction in the God-head* 
this is perfectly explainable ; but it is not 
explainable on any other supposition, nor 
can we believe, that without some special 
reason for it, God would have used such a 
form of expression in his word. 

We cannot admit, therefore, that this pas- 
cage is to be understood, as used for the sake 
of dignity ; and if it be taken as it stands, it 
certainly establishes the position, that there 
is a distinction of plurality in the mode of 
God's existence. We have given the more 
attention to this passage, since, all along, it 
is intended to depend more on a few incon- 
trovertible texts, than the multitude of oth- 
ers, which might be cited. 

2. I offer, in proof of our doctrine, that 
class of Scriptures, where God is distinguished 
from Goe/, in the sane passage. In Hozea i. 7, 
God says to the prophet, / will have mercy up- 
an the house of Judah. and will save them y by the 



52 



lecture nr. 



Lord their God. This is exactly similar to 
Gen. xix. 24, where it is said, Then the Lord 
rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimstone 
and fire, from the Lord, out of Heaven. And to 
a still more unequivocal passage, in the xlv. 
Psalm, where, speaking to Christ, in his me- 
diatorial character, it is said by the Father, 
therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with 
the oil of gladness, above thy fellows. In all 
these passages, it is not necessary to enquire, 
now, whether some inferior being is spoken 
of under the names of Lord and God ; we 
must be contented to wait for the considera- 
tion of this, until we come to speak of the 
character of Christ. The object of citing 
the texts at present, is to show, that, in the 
language of Scripture, God is often dis- 
tinguished from God ; and that, therefore, 
there must be a plurality in the Deity. This 
certainly, if we can understand language at 
all, they do establish. 

3. Let us attend to a few of those Scrip- 
tures, w : here different persons of the Deity are 
spoken of in the same acts, and yet all those acts, 
such as are ascribed to the Lord, or Jehovah. 
This will advance us a step farther in our 
leading propositions ; since it will show, not 
only that a distinction exists in the God- 
head, but that the distinction is threefold, cor- 



LECTURE HI. 



53 



responding with what is ascribed, after- 
wards, more fully, to Father, Son and Holy 
Spirit. \ striking passage of this charac- 
ter is found in Isaiah xlviii. 16. Come ye near 
unto me, hear ye this ; 1 have not spoken in se- 
cret from the beginning ; from the time thvt it 
v:as there am i : and now the Lord Got/, and his 
Spirit, hath sent me. Here the person speak- 
ing, is undoubtedly Christ, who is called by 
the remarkable name of I am, and said to 
be from the beginning. But what w r e partic- 
ularly have to observe of him, from this pas- 
sage, is that the " Lord God. and his Spirit" 
send him ; Christ sent — the Lord God, and his 
Spirit, sending him. What is this but a Trini- 
ty ? See also, the parallel passage to this* 
in Isai. Ixi. 1, which Christ appropriated to 
himself, according to the New Testament. 
(See Luke iv. i 8.) 

The same three persons are represented 
as engaged in the act of delivering Israel 
from Egypt, and carrying them to the land 
of Canaan. That God the Father was engaged 
in it, is not disputed, / am the Lord thy God, 
which ha ve bro ught thee out of th e land of Egypt, 
out of the house of bondage. (Exod. xx. 2.) 
That the Son was engaged in it, appears 
from Exod. iii. 2, as compared with the i th 
verse, and with the 23d chapter, 20th and 



LECTURE III. 



2 1st verses ; for be which is called God's angel, 
in one of these places, is called the God of A- 
braham, Isaac and Jacob, in another ; and in still 
another, it is the angel whom God had 
sent, and whom the children of Israel were to 
fear, because his name was in him. This 
corresponds with what is said in Isaiah: 
" That in all their affliction, he was afflict- 
ed, and the angel of his presence saved them." 
This angel of God's presence, was undoubt- 
edly, then, the So\; for he is here distinguish- 
ed from God, and yet represented as work- 
ing with God ; and now that the Spirit also 
bore a part in this great transaction, is ex- 
plicitly said in Isai. Ixiii. 10. « But they re- 
belled, and vexed his Holy Spirit." 

I repeat an observation here, in substance, 
twice made before ; and that is, that whether 
the other persons, here spoken of, as acU 
ing with God, were inferior persons, or 
mere influences, is not the present subject of 
inquiry. The proofs, yet cited, have been 
intended to show T merely, that there exists a 
distinction in the Deity, and that this distinc- 
tion's threefold, into Father, Son and Holy 
Spirit. 

Let us proceed with our arguments. We 
offer, in the fourth place, those passages 



LECTURE TIL 



55 



from the New Testament, where these three 
persons are appealed to as equally divine in acts 
of worship. Two illustrious examples of this 
kind are found in the baptismal service, and 
the so often repeated apostolick benediction. 
The first of these, in Matth. xxviii. 19, runs as 
follows : Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Fathe) , and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. We observe 
of this passage, that it is a formula of reli- 
gious worship. No more direct or solemn act 
of worshipping God can be, than that of 
baptizing, in his name: but you see that this 
worship is of three distinct persons, and that 
one is as much honoured by it as any other. 
Could this be, unless each was divine, and 
each of equal dignity, and that it was one 
God after all, who is worshipped as thus ex- 
isting ? It has been thought further, that the 
use of the phrase in the name, here favours the 
same construction. It is not in the names of 
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as if three 
separate objects of worship were intended, 
but in the name, as a term, which, in the unity 
of their essence, might be common to all. Of 
the apostolick benediction, " The grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the com- 
munion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all," near- 
ly the same remarks may be made* It is cer- 



§6 



LECTURE IU. 



tainly an act of solemn worship to God. 
Three persons are nevertheless mentioned, 
one with as much honour as any other ; and 
the passage has this further in it, that it 
names these several persons of the Trinity, 
with reference to their appropriate offices. Grace 
is properly assigned to the Son ; Love to 
the Father ; and Communion to the Holy 
Spirit ; but all are divine, and all worship- 
ped alike. If we believe, now, that the Su- 
preme God is the only proper object of wor- 
ship, these passages will certainly establish 
a three-fold distinction in the eternal God- 
head. 

5. To the same end, 1 shall now cite a pas- 
sage, where certain divine gifts are said ta 
be received from the different persons of the 
Trinity, and yet all said to be of one God. 
]. Cor. xii. 1, 5, 6. » fc Now there are diversi- 
ties of gifts, but the same Spirit ; and there 
are differences of administrations, but the 
same Lord ; and there are diversities of 
ope rations, but it is the same God, which 
worketh all in all. 5 ' By the Lord, in the 5th 
verse, is undoubtedly meant Jesus Christ, as 
may be seen by comparing it with verse 
3d. and then the force of the passage con- 
sists in this : that certain gifts ascribed to the 
Spirit, and certain others ascribed to Christy 



LECTURE III. 



57 



and certain others ascribed to God, are all, 
nevertheless, said to be of one God. Is there 
any escaping the force of this proof? Will 
it help the difficulty to say. that some of these 
gifts are such as might come from created 
beings, and, therefore, from Christ and the 
Spirit ? But could it then be said that the 
same gift, which was from Christ, or the Spir- 
it, was, in that very condition of it, also from 
God? No; there is but one way of making 
this remarkable language consistent, and 
that is by supposing a distinction in the per* 
sons of the God-head. 

6th, and lastly. For the present, we shall 
cite the extraordinary passage in I John, v. 
7, where the whole doctrine we have yet 
taught is explicitly asserted. " There are 
three that bear record in heaven, the Fath- 
er, the Word and the Holy Ghost ; and these 
three are one" We are not ignorant, breth- 
ren, that the authenticity of this passage has 
been strenuously called in question. I sup- 
pose a hundred volumes have been written 
to prove that it is not, and as many to prove 
that it is, a genuiue portion of the word of 
God. But with this we have nothir^g to do 
at present. I rest satisfied for myself, with 
regarding it as true as any other portion of 
scripture ; and we may take occasion to of> 



£8 



LECTURE III. 



serve here, that it is manifest, from the great 
exertions which have been made to reject it 
from the sacred canon, how strong and con- 
clusive the passage is viewed to be, if admit- 
ted. Taking for granted, then, the authenti- 
city of the passage, let us see if there is any 
way, by which its force can be avoided. 
There is only one, in which it has been at* 
tempted; it is by altering its evident mean- 
ing. There are three that bear record, it is 
admitted, the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
Ghost ; and these three are one ; but one 
v/hat ? One, it is said, in testimony, not in 
being; and the same method is adopted for 
destroying a parallel passage in John x. 
4i 1 and my Father are one" But the above 
cannot be the meaning of the passage ; for, 

1. Thispart of the verse is not speaking of 
testimony but of persons. It had spoken of 
bearing witness before, but something is added 
of the persons v:ho bear this witness; and 
these three — what ! agree ? that had been 
said before — no ; are one. It is plain as it 
stands ; it tells what it does mean : who has 
any right to add w hat it might mean ? 

2. When oneness in testimony is meant, 
as is the case in the next verse, where 
the Spirit, water and blood, are mentioned, 
the word agree is used. " There are thrqe 



LECTURE in. 



that bear witness in earth, the spirit, the wa- 
ter, and the blood, and these three agree in 
one." If agreement were meant before, why 
was not the same expression used ? On the 
present supposition, it cannot be told us : on 
a different supposition, it is easy; for when 
the spirit, water and blood, are the subject, 
it could not be said they were actually one ; 
it is said, therefore, that they agree in one. But 
when the Father, the Word and the Spirit, 
are the subject, you have a Trinity, which 
can be one in essence, and the text therefore 
says, they are one, 

And that this conclusively is its meaning, 
you have only to look at the next verse, 
where all this witness, whether of the Fath- 
er, Word or Holy Spirit, is called, neverthe- 
less, the witness of God. M If we receive the 
witness of men, the witness of God is greater, 
for this is the witness of God, which he hath 
testified of his Son." On the whole, then, 
we cannot but think that the true meaning of 
the passage, is the plain, unglossed and un- 
augmented reading of it, as it stands ; and 
if it be, and the passage itself is genuine, it 
asserts explicitly, a Trinity in the God-head. 
44 There are three, and these three are one." 

We are aware, that there are many other 
passages, which are usually cited from the 



60 



LECTURE IH. 



New Testament, to establish a Trinity in the . 
God-head ; such as the baptism of the Sav- 
iour, where the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, 
are certainly introduced ; and that passage 
in John xv. 26, in which Christ promises to 
send the Comforter unto his disciples, from the 
Father. These passages are conclusive in 
proof of three persons ; but they do not, so 
clearly as those which have been cited, ex- 
hibit these persons as real distinctions in one 
God. And we have before expressed our de- 
sign of resting this doctrine, not so much on 
the multitude of texts, as the strength and 
clearness of a few. 

Let us now review our proofs, and draw, 
for the present, to a conclusion. The point 
thus far attempted to be made out, is, that 
the one God exists, by a distinction of three 
persons, wherein one is as much represented 
to be the Supreme God as another; and that 
these persons are the Father, Son and Holy 
Ghost. In proof of it, we have adduced 
those Scriptures, such as our text, where God 
speaks of himself in the plural number ; those, 
whtre God is distinguished from God, as 
when " the Lord rained, upon Sodom and 
Gomorrah, fire and brimstone from the 
Lord, out of heaven and those acts of Jeho- 
vah) such as the liberation of Israel from 



LECTURE III. 



61 



Esypt, in which three persons are found engaged, 
each performing divine ivories, and called in many 
instances, one Jehovah. From the New Tes- 
tament have also been produced, the formula 
of the baptismal service, and the Apostolick bene- 
diction ; in each of which, these persons are 
worshipped with equal honour : the passage 
concerning the diversities of their gifts, in Corin- 
thians, which gifts are nevertheless ascribed 
to one God : and, finally, the remarkable pas- 
sage of I John v. 7, which absolutely asserts 
our doctrine, and is not to be set aside, ei- 
ther by glosses, or by calling in question its 
authenticity. These proofs do appear to 
me to establish the doctrine of a Trinity, so 
far as we have yet considered it; but these 
are, by no means, all. Every proof which 
we have yet to offer in favour of the divine 
character of Jesus Christ, and all that shall 
appear for giving the same honour to the 
Holy Spirit, are also proofs of a Trinity; 
for, if it shall be made to appear, that either 
of these do truly and properly possess the 
supreme nature of God, it will be still more 
certain, that there is a real distinction in the 
God-head. 

But we pause here for the present, and in 
Pegging your patient attention to the whole 
of this great subject, we have only to suggest 

6 



62 



LECTURE III. 



again the important relation it holds to alt 
that is solemn, and all that is valuable to us. 
If God, my brethren, is never riglitly worship- 
ped, but when he is worshipped in spirit and 
in truth ; if he has been pleased to reveal 
himself as existing in a Trinity of persons, 
and if he has connected that mode of his ex- 
istence, with all that is precious and consol- 
atory in the hope of our salvation, who shall 
be able to count the consequence of under- 
standing him properly ! Who shall suffi- 
ciently fear the danger of a mistake on this 
subject! 

The subject has also increasing conse- 
quence, from the character of the age in 
w r hich we live. As the doctrine of the Trini- 
ty has always been more or less assailed, 
since the fourth century of the church's his- 
tory ; so it seems likely, from the character 
of our times, still to be called in question. 
Without a special provision for the trial, I 
tremble to anticipate what yet may be the 
state of some of our children, or children's 
children, from an opposition to this doctrine. 

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the 
spirit of the Lord will undoubtedly lift up a 
standard against him ; but this is not to be 
expected, unless his people are prepared for 
it; and one way of being prepared is, more 



LECTURE III. 



63 



and more to make ourselves acquainted with 
the truth ; and more and more to cleave to 
the simple and unquestioned teachings of the 
holy scriptures. Such an importance do I 
view this subject as having, with the rising 
generation especially, that were 1 now a 
youth, I should think no degree of attention 
too great to devote to this study. I would 
commit all the scriptures relating to the 
doctrine in question ; I would abide by them 
in all their simplicity, andl w ould pour forth 
my prayers to Father, Son, and sacred Spir- 
it, as all holy men have done before us, for 
the grace, illumination and strengthening, 
which should establish me in it firmly. 

Finally : How glorious a Being must that be 
who has thus revealed his mode of existence ! 
The perfection, the mystery, the adapted- 
ness to our hopes of such an existence, ought 
all to fill us with admiration. We ought to 
worship, while we pause here, and cry out, 
Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, my Lord 
mid my God ! 



LECTURE IT, 



THE DIVINITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST, 



ROMANS ix. 5. 

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the 
flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for* 
ever* Amen. 

In previous lectures, we have considered 
the unity of God, and the manner in which 
Got is believed to exist, to wit : by a distiuc-^ 
tion of persons. W e must think that such a 
distinction was made out, and that it appear- 
ed from the New Testament, more especial- 
ly, that these persons are three, the Father, 
Son ajKl Holy Ghost. Only the first part of 
our general proposition, however, has yet 
been considered, that God exists by distinc- 
tion of persons. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

We have yet to consider the particular 
character of each of these persons, from 
which will appear, as we believe, not only 
farther proof of the distinctions of the God- 
head, but satisfactory evidence, also, that 
each of these persons is truly and properly Divine, 



66 



LECTURE IV* 



What we have before us, at present, is 
the character of the second person in the 
God-head, th& Lord Jesus Christ. 

The subject is important, not only as be- 
ing the principal point in all the doctrines of 
a Trinity, but as it involves, if we are not 
mistaken, the vital principles of our religious 
hopes, The two points which we shall at- 
tempt to establish, and which, if established, 
will secure all that we desire at present, are 
the following : 

L " That the Being we call Jesus Christ, 
does really possess the supreme nature of 
God 

II. " And that he does really possess a 
sinless human nature." 

I. That Being, whom w r e call Jesus Christ, 
DOES really possess the supreme nature of 
God. 

We have used some care in framing this 
proposition, w ith a view to preclude, if possi- 
ble, any mistake as to our meaning. 

We say, " he possesses the supreme nature 
of God not that he is called God merely, nor 
that he is in the place of God by a mere dele- 
gated authority ; nor yet that God only dwells 
in him, as he is sometimes said to dwell in 
his children. These we do not mean of Christ, 
and lor reasons which will appear hereafter; 



LECTURE IV. 



but we mean simply and plainly, " that Christ 
does really, and of himself, possess the su- 
preme nature not the same person in God, 
as the Father or the Spirit, but the same 
divinity in one undivided essence. He is, in 
nature, the Supreme God ; as much so, as the 
Father or any other person of the God-head. 

Ihis is bur belief, and for proof of it, we 
jely solely upon the scriptures : not that in 
reason, or in the nature of things, there can 
be any thing found against this doctrine ; but 
because it is a subject on which revelation 
alone has instructed us. Revelation alone 
ought, therefore, to be consulted, in deter- 
mining what is true of it. 

But it is time to hear it speak. 

1. And the first class of passages which we 
have to offer, shall consist of those " in 
which Christ iscalled God ; andsocalled, with 
circumstances and connexions, such as leave 
no doubt that the Supreme God is meant." 

Let us take for the first of these, the be- 
ginning of the gospel according to John. " In 
the beginning was the w r ord, and the word 
was with God, and the word w as God. The 
same was in the beginning with God, All 
things were made by him, and without him was 
not any thing made that was made." " The 
world was made by him." All we are con- 



68 



LECTURE IV, 



cerned to have remembered from the pas- 
sage, at present, is this, that this word, who 
is evidently Jesus Christ, as appears from 
the 14th verse, is called God here, and th<\f, 
in the connexion, he is said to have made the 
world. How Jesus Christ made the world, 
whether by his own or a delegated power, 
will be considered in its proper place. 

The next passage is at Heb. i. 8, 10 and 
12. " But unto the Son he saith, Thou, Lord, 
in the beginning hast laid the foundation of 
the earth, and the heavens are the works of 
thine hands : they shall perish, but thou re- 
mainest ; and they all shall wax old as doth a 
garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold 
them up, and they shall be changed ; but thou 
art the same and thy years shall not fail." 

Here it is expressly said, that the Son of 
God is the person spoken of, and in two pas- 
sages, which are applied to him from the Old 
Testament, (viz. from the 45th and 102d 
Psalms,) he is called God and Lord, and is 
said to have laid the foundation of the earth* 

1 John v. 20. " And we know that the 
Son of God is come r and hath given us 
4 an understanding that we may know him that 
is true, and we are in him that is true, even 
in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, 
and eternal life." 



LECTURE IV. 



69 



If there were any doubt whether Jesus 
Christ is the person meant in this latter clause 
of the text, we would not only say that the 
most rational construction of the passage re- 
quires it, but refer to those numerous other 
scriptures, where the epithets Eternal Life, 
Life in Himself and Life in the abstract, are 
applied to the same person. It is John's lan~ 
guage, especially, to call Jesus Christ the 
Eternal Life, and he here affirms, that this 
Eternal Life is the true God. 

Take once more, in this class, the words of 
our text — " of whom, as concerning the flesh, 
Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for- 
ever. Amen." 

This passage is sufficiently explicit as it 
stands in our translation. In the original, 
however, and even in the corrected copy of 
Griesback, where every art seems to have 
been used to give it a different meaning, it is 
still clearer. The pointing of our version, 
which separates the phrase, who is jver all, 
from God, is there omitted. So it reads — 
" Who is the over all God and what is this 
but the Supreme God ? 

Thus we have, in this passage, the Su- 
preme Deity of Christ absolutely affirmed. 

Let us now consider the force of this class 
of te;xts, as taken together. We have se- 



70 



LECTURE IV. 



lected them, as before remarked, not only be- 
cause Christ is called God in them ; but be- 
cause he is so called God, with such con- 
nexions and adjuncts, as to render it clear 
that none other than the Supreme God is 
meant. In some of them he is said to be that 
God, " who created the universe r in one. 
that he is the true God ; and in another, that 
he is " the God over all and forever blessed/' 
Will it do to answer here, that Christ is 
only called God, and that this name is some- 
times given to inferior beings in scripture ? 
How is it given to them ? we ask. Always, 
without any exception, in such connexions, 
and with such qualifications, as to shew that 
the Supreme God is not meant iu those instan- 
ces. 4i I said ye are gods.'" it is written o 
civil magistrates, M but ye shall die like 
men." And thus of Moses : " 1 have made 
thee a god unto Pharaoh ; w and so Satan is 
called the god of this world. But do we not 
discover that in all these instances, there is 
something connected, which shows clearly 
that inferior beings are meant ? But in the 
passages adduced, where this name is appli- 
ed to Christ, it is precisely the reverse. 
Here the adjuncts show that it is the Pu- 
premeGod who is meant — the attributes of 
creating power, of eternal truth and of supremacy : 



LECTURE IV. 



71 



being expressed in the same connexion, and 
they are so expressed as to lead to the gross- 
est mistake, if the Supreme God be not in- 
tended. No man, in his senses, would be in 
danger of supposing the Supreme Deity to 
be ascribed to civil magistrates, when they 
are called gods in the plural number, and 
when it is added, " but ye shall die like 
men but a person, in his senses, would be 
likely to mistake, if we are indeed mistaken, 
in the sense of the passages, which give this 
name to Christ. He woulo be likely to im- 
agine that the Supreme God was intended ; 
for he now hears him not only called God, 
but called so with qualifications clearly im- 
plying his supremacy, and other eternal per- 
fections. On this argument, it is confessed, 
we do rest, for one of our strongest proofs in 
favour of the proper divinity of Christ. If 
we wish to see other passages, where the 
names of God are given to Jesus Christ, let 
us consult the following : 

Isai. ix. 6, and vii. 11; Jeremiah, xxxiii. 
John xx. 28 ; 1 Timothy iii. 16 ; Malachi 
iii. 1 ; Matthew i. 23 ; Titus ii. 13; and Rev. 
i. o ; in which last, no less than four of the 
distinguishing appellations of Deity are giv- 
en to the Saviour. There is, besides all 
these, a large and powerful array of texts to 



72 



LECTURE IV, 



the same purpose obtained, by comparing 
them as they stand in the Old Testament, with 
the quotations of them in the New. A refer- 
ence to some of these may be found below. # 

Let us now proceed to our second proof. 

2. Christ is really divine, according to 
those passages of scripture, which ascribe to 
hi?n an equality with God. Phil. ii. 5, 8. " Let 
this mind be in you which was also in Christ 
Jesus, who also being in the form of God, 
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, 
but made himself of no reputation, and took 
upon him the form of a servant." John xiw 
9. " Have I been so long time with you, and 
yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that 
hath seen me, hath seen the Father." John v. 
19, " What things soever he (the Father) 
doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." 
And 21, 23, of the same chapter. " For as 
the Father raiseth up the dead and quick- 
eneth them ; even so the Son quicken- 
eth whom he will, that all men should hon- 
our the Son, even as they honour the Fa- 
ther." Now, without stopping to inquire at 
present, how it is that a language implying 

* Compare Isai. viii. 13, 14, with 1 Peter ii. 8. Isai. xl. 3, with 
Math. iii. 1, 3. Psalm lxxviii. 18, with 1 Cor. x. 9. Isai. yx* 
throughout, with John xii. 39. 



LECTURE IV. 



73 



Christ's mediatorial inferiority is also used ia 
some of these passages, let us candidly ask 
ourselves, if an equality of condition, ofpoiver, 
of honour and dignity, are not here clearly as- 
cribed to the Saviour. 

We proceed to our third proof : 
3. Christ really possesses the divine or 
supreme nature, "in that the incommunicable at- 
tributes of Deity are ascribed to him in Scrip- 
ture" Here we shall solicit your patience, 
while we enumerate several of these attri- 
butes. 

Omniscience is ascribed to Christ. (Mat- 
thew xi. 27.) "No man knoweth the Son, 
but the Father; neither knoweth any man 
the Father, save the Son, and he to whomso- 
ever the Son will reveal him." (Johnii. 24.) 
" But lesus did not commit himself unto them, 
because he knew all men." (Rev. ii. 23.) "I 
am he which searcheth the reins and hearts. 5 ' 
And Johnxxi. 17. " Lord, thou knowest all 
things, thou knowest that I love thee." 

Omnipotence* or Almighty power is ascribed 
to Christ. (Phil. iii. 2 1 .) « Who shall change 
our vile body, that it maybe fashioned like 
unto his glorious body, according to the 
working whereby he is able even to subdue all 
things unto himself." (Heb i 3.) "Upholding 
all things by the word of nis power." And Rev, 

7 



74 



LECTURE IV. 



L 8. "I am — the Almighty." All these passa- 
ges are applied to the second person of the 
Trinity, and their import is so plain as to re- 
quire no comment. They ascribe to Christ 
omnipotence. 

Eternity is ascribed to Christ " Whose go- 
ings forth have been from of old, from ever- 
lasting." (Micah v. 2.) " The same was in the 
beginning, with God." (John i. 2.) " And now, 
O Father, glorify thou me with thine ownself, 
with the glory which I had with thee before the 
world was." (John xvii. 6.) Isaiah says in chap, 
ix. 5, " His name shall be called the everlas- 
ting Father" This expression has sometimes 
been rendered the Father of eternity. But we 
apprehend the word Father is used here, not 
as a distinction of personality in the God- 
head, but as an expression of Christ's pa- 
ternal character in the providence of all his 
works. And this paternal character of his is 
said to be everlasting. (1 John v. 20.) " This 
is the true God and eternal life." (Rev. xxii. 
13.) " 1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning 
and the end, the first and the last ;" and in 
chapter i. 8, the same expressions are used 
with this addition : " Which is, and which was, 
and which is to come;" the very import of 
the word Jehovah^ the expression of God's 
eternity, which is so often used in the Old 
Testament. 



LECTURE IV. 



We have great reason to be thankful, that 
this attribute of eternity is so fully applied to 
Christ in scripture. It is every thing in this in- 
quiry, and, rightly understood? this argument 
perhaps would go to preclude all others. # 

Immutability is ascribed to Christ. We 
have before quoted the passage from Heb. i. 
where God the Father addresses the Son as 
immutable, or remaining the same, while all 
created things wax old, an&perish as a garment. 

Omnipresence is ascribed to Christ. — 
(John iii. 13.) " And no man hath ascended 
up to heaven, but he that came down from 
heaven, even the Son of man, which is in 
heaven ;' ? and Mat. xviii. 20. " Where two 
or three are gathered together in my name* 
there am I in the midst of them.' 9 

Lastly, of these attributes, creative power 
is ascribed to Christ. The passages are nu- 
merous. I shall cite only two : (Heb i. 10.) 
6i And, thou, Lord, in the beginning, hast laid 
the foundation of the earth : and the heavens 
are the works of thine hands."' And Col. i. 
16. " For by him were all things created 
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, vis- 
ible and invisible, whether they be thrones, 

* The writer would be happy to see it thus pursued. If Christ 
be really an eternal Being, all else that pertains to Deity, must 
follow, and the view has this excellence besides, that it does not 
easily admit a perversion, 



76 



LECTURE IV. 



or dominions, or principalities, or powers; 
all things were created by him and for him," 
To this passage, how ever, and several sim- 
ilar ones, an exception has been taken, be- 
cause the term, by him, dia autou, is used ; as 
if it implied that Christ was only a secondary 
or instrumental agent in the work of creation. 
It is very certain, however, that dia, by, is of- 
ten used to denote the principal as well as 
the instrumental cause ; (see Hosea i. 7, and 
Rom. xi. 36:) and if it were not, the proof 
that Christ has creative power in himself, is 
not invalidated by it ; for the other passage 
quoted, declares it in the active form : "Thou, 
Lord," (i. e. Christ here,) 4e in the beginning, 
hast laid the foundation of the earth." Christ 
did then, by his own power, create the world: 
and now how strong is the proof of his su- 
preme divinity arising from this, if we re- 
flect what is necessary in order to such a 
work ! It is absolute folly, to talk of any 
thing less than infinite power and wisdom, as 
capable of creating the svorld ; and God has, 
accordingly, always appealed to the work of 
creation, as in that very thing he differed 
from inferiour gods. Read to this purpose, 
Isai. xliv. 2 1 ; Jer. x. 12 ; Acts xviu 23-26, and 
the whole of the xl. ch. of Isaiah. How often 
do you here find it taken for granted, that the 



LECTURE IV. 



77 



God who made the heavens, must be the true 
God! How do you hear all idols called as 
naught because they had not made the heavens! 
And how do you fi id men described as inex- 
cusable, because they did not know God, 
even his eternal power and Godhead, from 
the things that are made ! I confess, that to me, 
it is one of the most unansw erable of all tlie 
arguments in favour of Christ's supreme na- 
ture, that the attribute of creating power is as- 
cribed unto him. 

But v\ill it be said now, that all these at- 
tributes, which we have seen ascribed jto 
Christ, are to be consid ered as delegated attri- 
hides ? That he has them only as they are 
given to him, and therefore, that he may still 
be a created or inferiour being ? It might, 
perhaps, be said; and, as it is the only re- 
maining method of escaping the force of this 
argument, it ought to receive a full answer. 
We answer first, that it is an entire absurdity 
to talkof delegating these attributes of Deity. 
Do we not remember that most of them are 
tho^e called incommunicable attributes? Can 
God give his omnipotence, his omniscience, 
his eternity for instance, or any other essen- 
tial and infinite attribute to another? What 
then would that Cod be, who should remain ? 

If the attribute were infinite, and infinity be 

7# 



78 



LECTURE IV, 



essential to Deity, how could he remain De- 
ity, having parted with it ? 

But we have another answer to give. No 
created being could be the receptacle of 
these attributes, if God could part with them. 
Can created beings hold infinity ? If Om- 
nipotence were to be given to a being, must 
not an omnipotent being be created in order 
to retain it ? and will you then bear the ab- 
surdity, of one omnipotence giving place that 
there might be another omnipotence ? or will 
you admit that two omnipotent beings can 
co-exist in the same universe ? Of all the 
views of Christ that can possibly be taken* 
this involves the greatest contradictions. 

And, after all, the question, w hether he is 
a delegated being, may easily be settled by 
determining another question : Is he an eter- 
nal Being ? We have supposed that this wag 
proved: if it was, then there is an end to the 
notion of a delegation ; for it will hardly be 
maintained, we think, that his eternity was 
delegated, lest it should be asked, when it 
was delegated and by whom, that had a previ- 
ous existence ? 

4. The fourth and last argument that we 
shall adduce, for the proper divinity of 
Christ, is, that divine worship is ascribed to him 
in scripture. And we are willing to explain 



LECTURE IV. 



here, before producing the texts, the ground 
on which the argument has its force. We 
all know that God has said, ; - He would have 
no other gods before Rim, 9 - and we have said 
something of the manifest reason why none 
but God may be worshipped. We cannot 
too often advert to it. What is implied in an 
act of worship, if it be not this, that we ac- 
knowledge the object of worship to be su- 
preme, and ourselves, with all else, to be de- 
pendant on him ? Why do we reject the 
worship of the virgin Mary, and other crea- 
ted mediators, as practiced by Roman Cath- 
ollcks ? They might insist that these media- 
tors were exalted beings, and that God had 
put such honour on them, as to render them 
worthy of worship. But no : we tell them 
promptly, God has declared, " Thou shalt 
worship the Lord thy God, and him only 
shalt thou worship." And we insist besides* 
that the very notion of worship, implies such 
an ascription of supremacy to the object of 
worship, as can never be due to a creature. 

Now let us carry these principles into the 
case before us, and we shall see that the ve- 
ry objection which they afford to the worship 
of saints by Roman Catholicks, they afford 
against the w r orship of Christ, on the supposi- 
ion that he is a created being. Will it be said 



so 



LECTURE IV. 



that God has put distinguished honour on 
Christ ? so might it be said of them. Will it he 
added that God's influence and image was in 
Christ, so that it is He who is honoured 
through his inferiour representative ? so 
might it be said, and with as much plausibili- 
ty, of them. But no — the express command 
comes against us with all its force — " Thou 
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only 
shalt thou worship ;" and the reason stares us 
continually in the face, that to worship any 
being is to acknowledge him to be supreme. 

With these principles in mind, let us now 
hear some of those passages, in which Christ 
is represented as an object of worship. " That 
all men should honour the Son, even as they 
honour the Father." " And, again, when he 
bringeth in the first begotten into the world, 
he sailh, And let all the angels of God worship 
him." (Heb.i.6.) "And when he had taken the 
book," (the well known passage is in Rev. v. 
8 — 14.) "And when he had taken the book, 
the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, 
fell down before the Lamb, havingevery one 
of them harps and golden vials full of odours, 
which are the prayers of saints. And they sung 
anew song, saying, thou art worthy to take the 
book and to open the seals thereof, for thou 
wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by 



LECTURE IV. 



81 



thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, 
and people, and nation, and hast made us unto 
ourGod kings and priests, and we shall reign 
on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the 
voice of many angels round about the throne., 
and the beasts and the elders : and the num- 
ber of them was ten thousand times ten thou- 
sand, and thousands of thousands; saying with 
a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that w as 
slain to receive power, and riches, and wis- 
dom, and strength, and honour, and glory, 
and blessing. And every creature which is in 
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, 
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in 
them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, 
and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth 
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever 
and ever. And the four beasts said Amen. 
And the four and twenty elders fell down 
and worshipped Him that liveth forever and 
ever." 

I profess unto you, my brethren, that 
when I read such passages as this, I am fil- 
led with a singular mixture of emotions. I 
feel, for a moment, as if all argument for the 
proper div inity of Christ, w ere next to sacri- 
lege. To fell instantly down and join the 
heavenly host in adoring Him, seems an em- 
ployment much more becoming me. I am 



LECTURE IV* 



then torn away from this vision of his glory, 
by the painful reflection that he has never- 
theless been imagined to be less than the Su- 
preme Being, and I really feel as if I could 
not endure it. Whether in the spirit of piety, 
I cannot say ; but I really do feel as though I 
could not endure, to have a being, of whom 
such things are said, degraded to a creature. 
It does as much violence to my veiws of truth 
and consistency, and all that is sacred and 
precious in the representations of scripture, 
as it would to talk of a God of wood or 
stone, and to command our worship for it. 

Whether, on the whole, our first proposi- 
tion, that Christ really and properly possess- 
es the supreme nature of God, be made out, 
must now be submitted. The classes of 
scripture on which we have rplied for prodf, 
have been those where Christ is called &W, 
and with such adjuncts, as to show that the 
Supreme God is meant; those in which equal- 
ity to God is ascribed to him ; those in which 
he is represented as possessing the incommu- 
nicable attributes of Deity, and finally those 
which present him as an object of worship. 

We do not rest here, however, because 
more, much more, of proof might not be ad- 
duced ; but because, if these scriptures do 



LECTURE IV. 



83 



not convince us, we know not where to look 
for conviction, and because we have anoth- 
er proposition respecting the character of 
Christ, yet to be considered. 

II. Our second proposition is, that Christ 

REALLY POSSESSES A SINLESS HUMAN NATURE. 

Very little will suffice under this head. 
Where the proper divinity of Christ is ad- 
mitted, his human nature is seldom called in 
question. So that if our first proposition has 
been established, it will render argument 
less necessary in favour of the present. 

As singular and truly remarkable views, 
however, have sometimes been started in re- 
lation to the manner in which the Son of God 
came into our world, it may be proper to state 
what we mean by the human nature of Christ, 
and refer to some of those passages by which 
our views are supported. We believe, then, 
that Jesus Christ did really possess a sinless 
human nature, similar to that which Adam 
possessed before the fall ; and that he took 
this human nature into a mysterious union 
with his divine nature before possessed ; so 
forming one glorious God-man, and media- 
tor, for the purposes of redemption. And 
the first passage we shall offer, in support of 
this view, is the one selected for our text ; 
* Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as 



84 LECTURE IV. 



concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is o- 
ver all, God blessed forever." If Christ de- 
scended from the Jewish fathers, according 
to the flesh, it would need no laboured argu- 
ment, we should suppose, to prove that he 
possessed a human nature. The passage 
has this in it, moreover, that it clearly implies 
a two fold nature in Christ. To say that he 
descended from the Jewish fathers, according 
to the flesh, is about the same as to say, that 
he had some other descent — else why is this so 
carefully distinguished? Similar passages 
are found in Rom. i. 3, and Acts ii. 30. " Con- 
cerning his Son Jesus Christ," says the first, 
** who was made of the seed of David, accor- 
ding to the flesh ;" and in the other, we are 
told concerning this David, that, " being a 
prophet, and knowing that God had sworn 
with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his 
loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up 
Christ, to sit on his throne : he seeing this 
before, spake of the resurrection of Christ.' 5 
And again, in John i, 14, " the word ivas 
made flesh, and dwelt among us." 

Texts, still more unequivocal, are found 
in Hebrews ii. 14 and 16. " For as much 
then as the children are made partakers of 
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took 
part of the same ; that through death he 



LECTURE IV. 



might destroy him that had the power of 
death, that is, the devil." "For verily he 
took not on him the nature of angels ; but he 
took on him the seed of Abraham, where- 
fore in all things, it behoved Him, to be made 
like unto his brethren, that he might be a 
merciful and faithful high-priest in things 
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation 
for the sins of the people.' 5 

Added to all this, which goes to shew ex- 
pressly, that Christ took human nature, and 
that he took it into connexion with a nature 
before possessed, we might refer you to the 
whole history of his life. Christ was born?, 
grew in stature and in wisdom ; was hungry and 
thirsty ; ate, drank, slept, walked, suffered, bled % 
died, and rose again, in corporeal substance^ 
from the grave. He is called a man, and the 
son of man, perhaps some hundreds of times 
in the New Testament ; and if all this do not 
prove that he possessed a proper human na« 
ture, a nature differing both from that of an» 
gels and of God, then have we no evidence^ 
brethren, nor could we have any, that you or 
I possess a human nature ! 

But it is time to draw towards a close. Let T 
me call y6ur attention to one or two reflec- 
tions. And 

First v- How doe: the view liow taken of 
8 



86 



LECTURE IV. 



Christ, reflect light and glory on all the teachings 
of scripture f We have before shown, that 
there existed a distinction in the God-head 
from eternity. We believe, that when man 
was created and had fallen, the second per- 
son in this God-head assumed the place of 
mediator, upon the work of which he even 
then, in some measure, entered ; and that in 
the fulness of time, he actually took human 
nature upon him for finishing the work 
more perfectly. 

Now, in reference to one or another of 
these views of the second person in the Trin- 
ity, will every passage of scripture be found 
consistent, and every representation which 
they give of him, perfectly harmonious. (We 
do think this an idea of some importance.) 

A leading difficulty occurs in looking at 
this subject, arising from the apparently con- 
tradictory representations of scripture, res- 
pecting the character of Christ. He is called 
the Lord of David and the Son of David : He 
is the root and offspring of David : He is rep- 
resented as knowing all things, and yet not 
knowing seme things : He is the Almighty 
and yet all power is given unto him. He is 
called God ; represented and acknowledged 
as God ; he is also called the Son of God, 
and a man of inferior and dependent esi3- 



lecture nr. 



tenee* The apparent absurdity of all this 
presses, and the question is properly ask- 
ed — What is the expedient for rendering 
these scriptures consistent ? We answer : ad- 
mit them to mean just all they say repecting 
Christ, and just as they say it, our view 
of them will make it all harmonious. Ad- 
mit the eternal distinction in the God-head, 
the mediatorial office, and the human as well 
as the divine nature of Christ, and all is sol- 
ved — solved and easy, so far at least, as it is 
desirable it should be to such beings as we 
are. The key fits every ward of the lock : 
it is therefore the true key. We repeat the 
remark: It is this view of Christ, and this 
alone, which saves the consistency of appa- 
rently clashing scriptures. The experiment 
may be made. If you make him a man, you 
know not what to do with the passages which 
so fully ascribe the incommunicable attri- 
butes of Deity to him. If you make him an 
angel, the same or greater difficulties will fol- 
low you, besides the appaling consequence 
of destroying all consistent hope of salvation 
by his merits. 

I am not at present, however, carrying this 
subject into its consequences : I arn only 
showing how the supposition of a Trinity, as 
now explained, meets all the representations 



LECTURE m 



of scripture. Can the same be affirmed, with 
truth, of any other theory ? 

The other reflection is such as I hope may 
interest our hearts as well as our judgments. 
What a glorious manifestation of Deity is that, 
which is thus made in the person of Jesus Christ I 
How hopeless had been our condition, as 
sinners, without it ! How obscure our views 
of Deity I and how much abbreviated our 
happiness, had we even remained holy ! 
We trembled the other day, my friends, a& 
we attempted to gain a scriptural view of the 
majestick attributes of God : we might have 
trembled always, with such awful and retir- 
ing majesty, had he always appeared to sin- 
ners, had he never assumed another nature. 
" No man hath seen the Father, at any time, 
but the only begotten Son, that dwelleth in 
the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed 
him." 

It is in the mediatorial character, and es- 
pecially , in the human nature assumed by 
Christ, that God has, so to speak, let himself 
down to the observation of his creatures. 
He has laid aside the mantle of his consu- 
ming majesty, and we may now gaze upon the 
great sight and live. " Here the whole Dei- 
ty is seen but it is seen in reflected and a 
meliorated brightness. It is our nature tog^ 



LECTURE ITJ 89 

that we see thus glorified ; it is our interest 
that we see brought so near to the sacred 
God-head; it is our friend and brother stilly who 
is thus made the medium for reflecting down 
and softening the otherwise intolerable 
splendour of the Deity ; and we cannot but 
rejoice in the glorious manifestation. 

Oh, brethen ! if you ever gel to heaven, 
you will understand well what I now aim at 
communicating: and when ages of its happi- 
ness are rolled away ; when you have be- 
come intimately acquainted, both with the 
nature and the enjoyment of God, you will 
say that the sweetest and most expressive 
name, by which he ever yet revealed him- 
self ? was Lmmanuel — God with us. Amen, 




LECTURE V. 



PERSON AND CHARACTER OF THE H0L1 
SPIRIT. 



JOHN ri. 63. 

It is the Spirit that quickeneth. - 

The word Spirit, in this text, is probably 
used, by a figure, for the effect of the Spirit* 
The Saviour had told his disciples, certainly, 
highly mysterious truths, which they did' 
not understand; and he now tells them, 
the reason was that they did not look at their 
spirituality. " It is the Spirit, (said he) that 
quickeneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing: the 
words that I speak unto you, they are 
spirit, and they are life." That is, they are 
spiritual—the effect of the Holy Spirit — and, 
therefore, to be understood in a spiritual 
sense. 

This putting the gifts of the Spirit for the 
Spirit itself, is a very common usage in scrip- 
ture. We conceive, therefore, that we shall' 
da no violence to the text, by considering it^ 



LECTURE V; 



in its highest sense, as expressive of an impor- 
tant view, which may be taken of the Holy 
Spirit itself^ihe third person of the sacred 
Trinity. " 

There is certainly a vein of description, 
running through the sacred scriptures, with 
respect to the Holy Spirit, which is truly re- 
markable., I mean this: that they give to 
the Holy Spirit a distinct province of ope- 
ration, in almost every thing that belongs 
to God, and upon which almost every thing 
that is comely and active is made to de- 
pend. Yet is that vein of description, in 
some measure, a concealed one : the subject 
it describes lies deep.- I have often compa- 
red it to the origin of "motion in machinery 
the agent is out of sight, while its operations is 
are seen every where. So is it with the Ho- 
ly Spirit : it pervades every thing, and is yet 
invisible, except by its effects. We must 
trace these operations, therefore, in order to learn 
His character ; and this is the leading object 
of the present lecture. May the Spirit of 
truth, Himself, direct us, and then we shall 
not err! 

We observe, first, then, that we find an 
important department of operation assigned I 
to the Holy Spirit, in the work of creation. 
« In the beginning )God created the heaven 



LECTURE 



and the earth. And the earth was without: 
fprm, and void ; and darkness was upon the 
face of the deep. And the Spirit of God 
moved upon the face of the waters." Here*, 
in the first chapter of the Bible, we begin to 
discover what that distinct and important 
province of operation is, which is assigned to 
the third person of the Trinity. God speaks 
the world into existence : and the earth is 
without form, and void ; and darkness is up- 
on the face of the deep: but the Spirit moves, or 
broads, as the original word .is,. upon the face 
of the waters. Here, then, is it seen, accor- 
ding to our text, that the appropriate depart* 
ment of this Spirit, is to give life, and tight, and 
order, and beauty, to the works of God. It was 
so in creation: " By his Spirit he garnished 
the heavens." And we shall find it to be so 
in all the other works of God. Let it be 
borne in mind, as we pass along, that our ob- 
ject is to find this appropriate department of the 
Holy Spirit, and to learn thence Ms proper char- 
acter. 

II. Something of this kind is ascribed to 
the Holy Spirit, in the providential uphold- 
ing AND PRESERVING OF God's CREATURES. In 

the 104th Psalm, David is describing the 
work3 and providence of God ; and he re- 
presents all creatures as receiving their sus-. 



LECTURE V. 



tenance and being, with all its changes, from 
Him. That thou givest them," says he, 
" they gather : thou openest thine hand, they 
are filled with good. Thou hides! thy face, 
they are troubled ; thou takest away their 
"breath, they die, and return to their dust." 
What, then, is it that supports a dying crea- 
tion ? What shall revive the changes of re- 
volving nature, when all is dead and inactive? 
The next verse answers: "Thou sendest 
forth thy Spirit, they are created ; and thou 
renewest the face of the earth." Here the 
agency of the Spirit of God is seen in its ap- 
propriate operations again, re-creating that to 
which he gave life, and order, and beauty, in 
the first creation.. 

III. We find these operations thirdly, and 
much more at large, in the works of re- 
demption. And here, 

1. He is seen to bear a part in the eter- 
nal covenant of redemption. Peter speaks of 
Christ, as given by covenant, before the founda- 
tion of the world. (Acts ii. 23, and 1 Pet. i. 20.) 
But when God speaks of this covenant, or 
gift of Christ, he includes the agreement of 
the Holy Ghost in it. " Behold my servant, 
whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul 
delighteth ; I have put my Spirit upon him, 
and he shall bring forth judgment to the 



LECTURE V. 



'95 



Gentiles." (Isai. xlii 1.) Moreover, as the 
Holy Ghost is every where represented as 
being a separate and Divine agency, in car- 
rying this covenant into effect, it is strongly 
infered, that he must have given his assent 
to the covenant itself. How, otherwise, could 
his co-operation have been promised. (See 
also Heb. x. 29. But let us look at the car- 
rying into effect of this covenant ; and here 
the Holy Spirit is seen, 

2. To inspire holy men to write the book of rev* 
elation. ^ For the prophecy came not in eld 
time, by the will of man, but holy men of 
God spake as they were moved by the Ho- 
ly Ghost." (2 Pet. i. 21.) 

3. To anoint, or sanctify the Saviour. " The 
Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the 
Lord hath anointed me, to preach good ti- 
dings." (Isai. lxi. 1.) This anointing orsetting 
apart of the Saviour, did, indeed, more form- 
ally take place, when he had come in the fleshy 
and was initiated into his ministry, by his 
baptism, and the descent of the Holy Ghost, 
But, the Old Testament saints, had a Sav- 
iour in the types and promises, and visible 
appearances of the second person, on cer- 
tain occasions ; in all which, the meaning of 
the types, sealing of the promises, and the 
mission of the Son, must be considered as 



LECTURE V. 



falling within the province of the Spirifs op- 
erations. Even then, the Saviour could say, 
" And now the Lord God and His Spirit 
hath sent me.' 5 (Isai. xlviii. lb.) We find 
the presence of this Spirit again, at the incar- 
nation of Christ. Said the angel to Mary, 
42 the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and 
the power of the Highest shall overshadow 
thee ; therefore, aslo, that holy thing, which 
shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son 
of God;' 

4. And not only in this, but in relation tb 
men, do we find this Spirit's operations, 
Them He enlightens : " Howbeit, when he 9 
the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you 
into ail truth," for " He shall receive 6f mine, 
and shall shew it unto you." (John xyi. 13, 14. 
He convicts : " He will reprove the world of 
sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." 
(8th verse.) Re regenerates : >u Except a man 
be born of water and of the Spirit, he can- 
not enter into the kingdom of God." (iii, 
5.) Ee sanctifies : " Chosen to salvation 
through SANCTiFicATioN of the Spirit, and be- 
lief of the truth. (2 Thes. ii. 13.) 

Again: He is the Comforter of God's peo- 
ple. w But when the Comforter is come, 
whom ? will send unto you from the Father, 
even the Spirit of troth.'' (John xv. 2€.) He 



LECTURE V. 



m 



bears witness to truth. " The Spirit also 
bears witness with oar spirit," says Paul, 
(Rom. viii. 16,) " that we are the children of 
God and thus giving us the grace of strong 
assurance, he is said to seal us to the day of 
redemption. " And grieve not the Spirit of 
God, whereby ye are sealed to the day of re- 
demption." (Eph. iv. 30.) 

5. 'ihis Spirit has also appropriate offices, 
in relation to the church collectively. He 
anoints and sends forth her ministers. " As they 
ministered to the Lord, and fasted,^ the Ho~ 
ly Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and 
Saul, for the work whereunto 1 have called 
them." (Acts xiii. 2.) 

As we have seen, he begets her spiritual chil- 
dren, and is the author, more especially, of 
those stupendous displays of Almighty grace, 
when a large number o f dead sinners are awakened 
and regenerated together. u Tarry ye at Jerusa- 
lem," was the direction given to the apostles* 
" until the Spirit be poured out upon you from 
on high ;" and those who obeyed this com- 
mand, tarried not long, until the Spirit, under 
the sensible symbols of a rushing wind, and 
of cloven tongues of fire, filled all the place 
where they were sitting. (See Acts ii.) 
And finally, the Spirit is represented as the 

-immediate author of all those gifcs and spiritual 

9 



98 



LECTURE IV. 



grace$;*wheYeby the church is edified, built up, 
comforted, established in assurance, and 
eventually made meet for the marriage sup- 
per of the Lamb. " To one is given by the 
Spirit, the word of wisdom ; to another, 
the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit ; 
to another faith, by the same Spirit ; to an- 
ther the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit ; 
to another the working of miracles ; to an- 
other prophecy ; to another discerning of 
spirits ; to another divers kinds of tongues ; 
to another the interpretation of tongues : 
but all these worketh that one, and the self- 
same Spirit and this is wraught, as you 
perceive, just below, for edifying the body of 
Christ. (See 1 Cor. xii. 8, and onward.) 

It is in reference to these multifarious and 
appropriate gifts of the Spirit, that he is al- 
so called by many other names in scripture. 
Did our limits permit, we might refer you to 
the scriptures, w here is called Spirit of life ; 
Spirit of truth ; Spirit of grace ; Spirit of 
adoption ; Spirit of might : Spirit of promise ; 
law, voice, guide, teacher, love, power, and ma- 
ny others ; all which go to show what a 
fulness of description the scriptures give to 
this person, and the important, life-giving, 
and all sustaining influence, which is ascri- 



LECTURE V, 



99 



hed to him, in every department of God's 
works. 

Before proceeding, however, to deduce 
the character of the Holy Spirit, from all 
that has now been quoted respecting him, 
we must refer you to a few of those passa- 
ges, which speak of him without a reference to 
his appropriate offices. And here we find, 

1. That the scriptures call him God and 
Lord, without the least hesitation. " The 
Lord is that Spirit." (2 Cor. iii. 17.) « Thou 
hast not lied unto men, but unto God." 
(Acts v. 4.) Compare, also, Acts xxviii. 25, 
with Isaiah vi. 9 ; Hebrews iii. 7 — 9, with 
Exodus xvii. 7 ; and John i. 13, with John iii. 
5. Observe with what entire carelessness, 
so to speak, the names of God and Lord 
are indiscriminately given to the Spirit and 
to the Deity. 

2. With the same fulness, do the scriptures 
ascribe the Divine attributes to the Spirit In 
texts already quoted, you have seen creating 
and upholding power assigned to him, knowU 
edge to teach alt thi-gs, regenerating efficiency, 
the power of miracles, and the ability to sanctify 
and I preserve and seal his church unto the day 
of redemption. He is an object of worship, 
for equal honour is ascribed to him, with 
the Father and the Son. in the baptismal ser- 



LECTURE V. 



vice, and the apostolic benediction ; and final- 
ly, to enumerate only one more attribute, 
he is eternal; and if he is eternal, it is alto- 
gether unnecessary to say that all the oth- 
er attributes of Deity belong to him of 
course. But he certainly is eternal : He as- 
sisted in the creation of all things, and what 
is that which existed before the creation of 
all things but eternal? And in Hebrews ix. 
14, it is expressly said, that " Christ, through 
the Eternal Spirit, offered himself without 
spot, to God" 

From all these scriptures, we are at length, 
prepared to give our view of the character 
of the Holy Spirit. We say then, in the first 
j)tace, that it appears incontrovertibly from 
*these scriptures, that the Spirit possesses 
the supreme nature of God. He is not in- 
ferior or created ; but properly Divine. You 
heard him called God and Lord, without the 
least hesitation ; you heard works, and wor- 
ship, and attributes ascribed to him, which do 
not and cannot belong to any but the Su- 
preme Being. Now, if creative pow er do not 
prove that he who exercises it is God, how r 
shall we prove that our God is better than 
the idols, who " have not made the hea- 
vens ?" If a Being, who was eternal be not 
God, we would be glad to learn when it was 



LECTURE V. 



101 



discovered that there is more than one infi- 
nite being, and how they both existed togeth- 
er from eternity ? 

It appears to me next to impossible that 
any person, who receives the Bible as the 
word of revelation, can really doubt wheth- 
er the Holy Spirit possesses the divine na- 
ture — that such descriptions of him as are 
here given should be sincerely received, and 
jet He be supposed only an inferiour and cre- 
ated Being. But 1 am inclined to think that 
this last view of Him is not often taken. Most 
persons, who admit that the Holy Spirit is 
any being, admit that he is a divine being. 
The more common misapprehension, proba- 
bly, is that which denies his personality — not 
supposing him a real Being, but rather a mere 
influence. I know not whether I understand 
what is meant by calling the Spirit of God a 
mere influence.. I know well enough what is 
meant by denying the personality of the Spirit ; 
for it is much easier to deny a doctrine than 
to propound its opposite. But what is meant 
by saying that the Spirit of God is a mere in- 
fluence ? If it be meant that the Spirit is an 
attribute of God, I ask which attribute ? Is it 
his power, his wisdom, his eternity, or any oth- 
er attribute ? We have proved that the Spir- 
it possesses all these in himself. Now, as a 

9 # 



102 



LECTURE V. 



divine person, it is perfectly consistent that 
lie should possess all these ; but if he were 
an attribute, he must be some one attribute, 
and then how con he be another ? 

If it be meant that the Spirit is an influence, 
which God puts into some creatures, as wis- 
dom and holiness and other communicable 
attributes are sometimes put into men ; if 
this be meant, I deny it altogether ; for this 
Spirit has incommunicable attributes, and 
these can never be given to a creature. The 
Holy Spirit may give wisdom and other gifts, 
as he did in communicating the gift of 
tongues ; but that he is himself that very 
gift, and dwells in all his fulness in the crea- 
ture, seems to me, not only to confound the 
gift with the giver, but to make that giver 
a finite and limited being. 

Is it then meant, by calling the Spirit a 
mere influence, that he is the same as God — his 
own Spirit breathed forth, and thus opera- 
ting in various departments of his works ? 
This last, as far as it goes, we believe ; but 
still have to ask whether it is conceded, that 
this Spirit is really God; whether he is a per- 
son in the divine God-head ? We cannot 
conceive of par ts in God, as we can of our- 
selves, when we speak of spirit and body. 
God is all Spirit, and we \ush to learn what 



LECTURE V. 



103 



is meant by allowing that the Spirit is God's 
Spirit, and jet denying his personality. Here 
then, at length, we come to the point. 

Second. We believe, that the Holy Spirit is not 
only Divine, but really a person in the God-head : 
tha the stands, and acts, and feels as a 
Divine person in the God-head— as much so 
as the Father or the Son : possessing some pro- 
perties, which are not common, indeed, to them as 
persons ; but yet one God with them, as agreeing 
in all their essence. 

If we can make this out, it w ill be all we 
care further to establish, and all that need 
to be established, in oppisition to erroneous 
notions on this very serious subject. And 
does it not appear, that the Holy Spirit is 
a separate person in the Deity ? 

i. From those instances in which he as- 
sumed a bodily shape. When Christ w r as bap- 
tized, the Spirit descended upon him in the 
form of a dove. (See Math. iii. 16, 17.) 
This dove was the Holy Ghost, and the Holy 
Ghost we have proved to be Divine. Now 
was this appearance no distinction in the 
God-head ? when we hear the Father from 
heaven speaking at the same time and say- 
ing, * This is my beloved Son, in whom I 
am well pleased." So also, in the descent 
of the Holy Ghost, at Penticost. (Acts ii.) 



104 



LECTURE V. 



Here the form assumed, was that of cloven 
tongues of fire ; and we read, that " they all 
began to speak with tongues, as the Spirit 
gave them utterance." Is there no difference 
between the Holy Spirit, and mere influences 
in this case, when it is said that this Holy 
Spirit gave those influences ? 

2. My next proof of the personality of the 
Spirit, is those passages where the Spirit, 
though Divine, is still distinguished from God. 
Speaking of the church, Paul says, 44 there 
is one body and one Spirit— one Lord, one 
faith, one baptism." (Eph. iv. 4, 5.) " Your 
body," says he to the Corinthians, (I Cor. 
vi. 19,) 44 is the temple of the Holy 
Ghost — which ye have of God." And once 
more, (John xv. 26,) Christ speaks of the 
Comforter, which he will send unto them 
from the Father. Here all the three per- 
sons are named, with the plainest distinction, 
and in the order of their personal relation ; 
and what can this be, if each is Divine, but 
the distinction for which we contend ? 

3. But my last and strongest proof, that 
the Spirit is a person in the Trinity, is those 
passages where he is not only distinguish- 
ed from the Father and the Son, but mentioned 
and worshipped with eqiud honour. 44 Go y.e and 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 



LECTURE V. 



105 



of the Father, and of the Son, and -of the Ho- 
ly Ghost." u The grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the love of God and the commun- 
ion of the Holy Ghost be with you alL" Now 
what possible theory can make this lan- 
guage consistent, if it be not that each of 
these names denotes a person, and that each 
person is Divine ? They are certainly distin- 
guished ; for we cannot suppose the inspiration 
of God meant merely to say to us — baptize ia 
the name of the Father and the Son and the 
influence of the Father! What is this but say- 
ing the same thmg over again ? Nor can 
we, dare we, make a difference in their 
dignity here, for they are all mentioned, 
with precisely the same honour* and all wor- 
shipped in a solemn act of devotion. 

There are many other proofs of the per- 
sonality of the Spirit, such as that he is spo- 
ken of as one capable of being grieved: that 
personal pronouns are applied to him. and in 
plain language : that we read of blaspheming 
against him beyond forgiveness, while, at the 
same time, another person of the Trinity is 
spoken of, agaiust whom blasphemies com- 
mitted, may be forgiven. 

The above proofs, how r ever, are sufficient, 
and we have no desire to enlarge them. 

I cannot forbear, however, to add one 



106 



LECTURE V. 



passage, extremely expressive. In Romans 
viii. 26, the Spirit is said to make interces- 
sion for the saints, according to the will of 
God ; and why is it that all the prayers 
which the Spirit moves, are according to the 
will of God ? The next verse answers : It 
is because " He who searcheth the heart," 
which is God certainly, " knoweth what is 
the mind of the Spirit.* 5 Here are certain- 
ly the actings of two existences, and yet 
they are represented as knowing each other 
perfectly, and acting in perfect concert, as 
one Being. 

It is evident, then, from all that has now 
been considered, that the Holy Spirit must 
be conceived of as possessing, in some sense, 
a two fold character. He possesses the su- 
preme nature of God, and therefoie is often 
spoken of as the same with Jehovah. His 
name is interchanged with this great name, 
and this great name with his, without refer- 
ence to his official department of operations. 
This is what we mean by the first view of his 
nature. In oilier passages, his appropriate 
operations are spoken of, such as relate to his 
part in creation, providence, and redemption. In 
these, he is put in the third order of offices 
in the Trinity, as if, in tins respect, he was 
inferior : as when he is said to be sent and 



LECTURE V. 



107 



to proceed from the Father and the Son. In 
both the views, however, he is, as we have 
seen, still Divine ; and the nature of the 
case requires that we consider him as a per- 
son. 

If you now ask whether it is proper to 
say the Holy Spirit is God and worship him 
as such ? I say yes. certainly ; for inspired 
m^n have calied him God. and worshipped 
him as God before you ; and they did it pro- 
perly, for he really possesses the supreme 
nature. But you do not worship him as an- 
other God. Always remember, that when vou 
worship the Spirt, or the Son, or the Father, 
you are worshipping the same God. The 
same supreme nature, dwelling in each of 
these persons ; in one word, according to all 
we have attempted to establish, it is the in- 
finite God, existing by a distinction of three 
persons in one essence. 

We feel now, that the latter part of our 
general proposition, made sometime since, is 
at length established, to wit : that the one God, 
not only exists by a distinction of persons, called 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but that while each 
of these persons possesses some properties, not com- 
mon to the others, they do all, nevertheless, possess 
the Divine nature, the one as much so as the other* 

As this finishes our whole subject, so far 



108 



LECTURE V. 



as it is doctrinally considered, we shall pause 
here for the present, and only request you — 
if disposed to study the subject further — 
always to observe two cautions. 

The first caution is, to rememember that we 
know hut UfJle, and can know but little on such a 
subject. A fine writer has represented man, 
as holding a middle state of being, between 
nothing and infinity. " His mind," says he, 
54 holds the same rank in the order of intelli- 
gent beings, as his body does in the extent 
of nature."' So far our author; and we draw 
this inference from him : that man is as far 
removed from a full knowledge of God, as 
his body is from the bulk of the universe. 
As rationally might he expect to stretch him- 
self over all worlds, as to comprehend the 
infinite Deity. We know then just so much 
of God's mode of existence, as he has re- 
vealed to us — nothing more. But it is not to 
be imagined, that he has revealed every thing 
that relate s to himself ; oh no : it is a part of 
his ways ; but the depths of his vast essence 
who can understand ? How evident is it then, 
that we must take what God has written of 
himself just as it stands, and rely upon it 
with great simplicity, not expecting to go far- 
ther than he has written, or call that in 
question because we can see no more ! 



LECTURE V. 



109 



I suppose I am as proud of my reason as 
another man — I thank God for it, and believe 
I ought to exercise it in studying the scrip- 
tures. But I would always bear in mind the 
proper province of reason : its business is to 
examine the evidence of God's having spoken 
to us, and when it is satisfied of that, to learn 
what is the meaning of his sayings. When 
it has got thus far, it has done. Where God is 
the subject, an angel's intellect can go no 
farther ; and I confess, brethren, when I have 
any right views here, I feel that any other, 
rather than a bold, speculating and presump- 
tuous language becomes me. 

The next caution I have to suggest, is that 
you always study this subject, if you study it 
at all, with prayer. Never dare to launch in- 
to such an abyss, without a petition that the 
Holy Ghost, whose province it is to give wis- 
dom, w r ould make it light to you; yes, and 
keep you too from plunging too deeply. I do 
think I have experienced the benefit of this 
precaution myself I have read of its once 
having reclaimed a distinguished Socinian 
from error; that he began to read the New 
Testament with a prayer,that the Spirit would 
illuminate his mind every time he opened the 
sacred volume. This was the assigned means 
of his conversion ; and how many other 

10 



no 



LECTURE V. 



unhappy wanderers, such a course as I have 
now recommended might have saved from 
the depths of delusion, it is not for me to 
determine. 

The remaining parts of this subject will be 
wholly practical, and those must be omitted 
till another occasion* 

Now may the Triune God, Father, Son and 
Holy Spirit, direct and bless us. x^men. 



LECTURE VI. 



THE DOCTRINES OF A TRINITY APPLIED 



2 THESSALONIANS ii. 16. 

Mnd hath given as everlasting consolation, and gooSr 
hope, through grace. 

Let us at length hear the conclusion of 
the whole matter. We have seen that there 
is a Trinity of persons in the God-head, and 
that each of these persons properly possesses 
the Divine nature ; but of what avail is all 
this abundance of revelation, and for what 
just reason has been our discussion of it, un- 
less it can be shown that God's glory and our 
own interest are involved in it ? We trust 
it will be made to appear that they are : 
at all events, it will now be attempted ; and 
we feel a pleasing confidence that those 
who have thus far seemed to love the truth 
for its own sake, will not be less attentive, 
when their dearest interests, when the beau- 
ty of Go Ps character, and their own immor- 
tal hopes* are to be discovered in it 



112 LECTURE VI. 



I. We think we can discover then, that 
the doctrine ice have been defending, exhibits a 

GLORY, NOT OTHERWISE DISCOVERABLE IN THE 
CHARACTER OF GoD. 

We speak not here, though w r e might per- 
haps, of the relation which such a distinc- 
tion of the God-head may have to His own 
essential happiness. It is certain, that the 
persons of the Holy Trinity are represen- 
ted as dwelling together, speaking to each 
other, and enjoying a high and ineffably holy 
communion. Now, what relation this may 
have to the independent happiness of Deity, 
what of essential glory was thus provided 
for in the eternal ages of God's sole exis- 
tence, or what of any other perfection, we do 
not pretend to determine. It is one of those 
subjects on which little is revealed, and 
where the deepest reverence becomes us. 
We do think, however, that we can see 
something of it. This distinction is a per- 
fection — we are sure it is, because it exists, 
and we think we can see it to be so. Let us 
come then to its effect on God^s declarative 
glory ; and here we remark, 

1. That the doctrine exhibits a beautiful 
order and harmony in Deity. In every impor- 
tant operation, and in the display of every 
well planned scheme, order and agreement 



LECTURE VI. 



113 



are of the first consequence. We all know 
their advantage in carrying on a co m plica* 
ted labour. Every department must there 
have its proper agent ; and yet must there 
be the most perfect harmony — a common 
motion and a common object. 

It may perhaps be objected, that we ought 
not to apply such a comparison to God's 
mode of existence. There is nothing impe- 
rious in it, however, if we do not thereby 
propose fully to explain that existence, but 
only to show of what an infinitely superiour 
harmony he is the author. We say, then, 
that the beauty and advantages of this prin- 
ciple of order may be found in God, as 
existing by a Trinity of persons. For each 
of these persons has appropriate offices at- 
tributed him in the works of God. In the 
work of creation, for instance, it is the pro- 
perty of the Father, as such, to preside. and 
will its existence : it is the property of the Son 
to create, arid of the Spirit to brood on the 
abyss, and reduce creation to order. So also, 
and more strikingly, does this order obtain 
in the works of redemption. It is the pro- 
perty of the Father, as such, to give and send 
his Son : the Sqn% to come in obedience, 
and to make himself a sacrifice, in order to 
provide pardon and reconciliation ; and it is 

10* 



til 



LECTURE VL 



the province of the Holy Spirit to apply these 
benefits in the conversion and sanctification 
of the sinner. But in all these operations* 
it \sas necessary that the most perfect harmo- 
ny should be preserved ; and this is also pro- 
vided for, in that these several persons are 
one in essence stilh as God. We have then, 
in this distinction, the superiour advantage 
over any other conception of Deity, that it 
distributes his works — ail of which are such 
as to require Divine agency in the most ap- 
propriate order— and yet makes the whole 
harmonious. We remark, 

2. That a provision is found in this dis- 
tinction, for displaying the force and sanctity of 
certain attributes of Deity more fully than they 
otherwise could have been displayed. Yv e will 
suppose, for instance, it had been revealed 
to us, aside from any idea of this distinction, 
that God was perfectly just and perfectly 
merciful— could we, I ask, have ever enter- 
ed in the conception how rigid that justice 
is, and how great that mercy, as we now do, 
in having heard that God g^ve his equal Son 
to die for sinners ? The fact is. my brethren, 
that we feel but little what God's perfec- 
tions are, by simply hearing them announced : 
we need to see them illustrated ; and now I 
take it upon me to say, that, as far as yet ap- 



LECTURE VI. 



115 



pears, God could not, in any other way, have 
made such an exhibition of the attributes 
just mentioned, as he has made, In giving his 
Son for a ransom. Had he, for instance, de- 
clared an act of amnesty at once, and par- 
doned sinners without a ransom, we think 
that justice not only would have been less 
gloriously exhibited, but that it would have 
been destroyed ; and had he given any other 
ransom — a created being, or all created be- 
ings together — we speak not now of the im- 
possibility of their making atonement — buf 
we say if they could have made it, the sancti- 
ty of God's attributes had not been as fully 
illustrated. But he gave, as you know, his 
equal Son, and in that gift, oh how do justice 
and mercy meet and magnify each other ! 

We might carry round this illustration to 
many other attributes of Deity. In sending 
his Son, God set an example of authority — in 
the coming of the Son, is a perfect example 
of obedience. In the energizing operations 
of the Spirit, the idea of God's omnipotence 
is brought nearer to us. In the humiliation of 
the Son, we see his condescension as we 
could never otherwise have seen it ; and his 
omnipresence is strikingly illustrated, by his 
speaking of himself as in heaven, while he 
was yet on earth, The harmony of all these 



116 



LECTURE VI. 



perfections is, nevertheless, secured, as be- 
fore illustrated, But all this mode of exhibi- 
tion, you need not be told, depends on the 
distinctions of a Trinity. 

3. We shall observe only one other use of 
the Trinity, in its relation to God's declara- 
tive glory. It serves, we think, to bring that 
glory clown to the apprehension of men. in the on- 
ly way in which it was possible for them to behold 
it. It seems to be an established principle, 
in God's existence, that no man may see 
him at any time and live. Fet God has been 
continually exhibiting himself, in one appear- 
ance or other, to his creatures ; and the same 
scripture explains this apparent contradic- 
tion, by saying, that 44 the only begotten Son, 
who dwelleth in the bosom of the Father, 
he hath revealed him." It is accordingly 
made certain, either by the connexion of 
the passages themselves, or by their quota- 
tion in the New Testament, that all those ap- 
pearances of God to men, recorded in the 
Old Testament, were appearances of the 
Son of God, called frequently God's angel 
and the angel of the covenant. Thus, to partic- 
ularize only a few instances, it was Jehovah 
Jesus who spoke to Moses in the bush, for so 
it is understood, as related by Stephen, (Acts 
Yii. 30 — 32.) It was Jehovah Jesus who re- 



LECTURE VI. 



11? 



proved the people at Bochim ; (Judges .ii I) 
for he is here called an angel, and yet, says 
he, " / made you to go up out of Egypt, and 
have brought you unto the land which I 
swear unto your fathers." And it is express- 
ly said to be Jesus, who appeared unto John 
in Patmos, with such uncreated glory ; and he 
is there called " the first and the last, the 
Almighty." (Rev. i. 8, 17.) 

Now there is some good reason, no doubt, 
why God has so uniformly displayed himself 
to men, in the person of his Son ; and as far as 
we can see, it appears to be this : It conveys 
a higher thought of the dignity of God, that 
he w ill not suffer himself to be seen by men, 
except through a mediator ; and it is a mer- 
ciful condescension, whereby his glories are 
thus softened down and brought nearer to the 
capacities of his creatures. Were God's un- 
veiled glories to open upon us without this me- 
dium, we have reason to believe they would 
consume us as in a moment. The hidden 
splendour of his essential essence has nev- 
er yet been conceived by mortals, and per- 
haps it never will be ; but in the person of 
his Son, assuming the form of an angel, or of a 
man, his mitigated glories have been seen, 
and enough in this way has appeared tg 
command our adoration, 



118 



LECTURE VI. 



But this comely and appropriate vision of 
God Jis fully dependent, as before, on the dis- 
tinctions of the God-head. We hope the 
assertion has now been justified, that the 
glory of God's character is concerned in this 
doctrine. Let us see, 

II. Whether all our hopes for immortal- 
ity ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON IT. 

In order to this, let us look at man as his 
ease stood before God at the moment of the 
fall, and as it now stands with every fallen 
sinner, until he receives the Saviour. He is 
fallen, depraved, ignorant, helpless and guil- 
ty. The condemning sentence of a right- 
eous law is on him — he has no power to es- 
cape it — he is conscious of the justice of his 
doom, and his darkness leaves him no dis- 
covery of a way in which his punishment 
can be avoided. Here then we begin to 
discover the need of a Redeemer ; and 

1, To interpose at that moment, in virtue of 
some eternal engagement made on man's be- 
half, to save him from the immediate effects of 
justice. Had such an interposition not been 
made, we see no way in which guilty man 
could have been spared, or creation saved 
from destruction^ for one hour after the fall. 
We learn, accordingly, that it was then made, 
and what we have particularly to observe of 



LECTURE VI. 



119 



the transaction just now, is the appropriate 
provision which then existed for such an in- 
terposition in the truths we are explaining. 
The first thought connected with the no- 
tion of a mediator is that of parties, be- 
tween whom mediation is effected. If then 
there was an interposition between man and 
his Maker, by another divine person, as ear- 
ly as the fall, it could only be in virtue of 
these distinctions of the God-head. 

2. But man is darkened and in ignorance also, 
God is now considered as pitying his case 9 
and beginning to make provision for it : he 
wills not, then, that his creatures should re- 
main ignorant of himself, or the way of his 
proposed redemption. Ignorant of it man 
must forever remain, however, without a 
revelation. Deity, in his essential essence, 
it seems, cannot come near enough to human 
apprehension for this object, and hence ari- 
ses another appropriate office for the per- 
sons of the Trinity. The Son of God be- 
comes a prophet to his people, and begins, 
even in Eden, to announce the mind and 
promises of Jehovah. " The seed of the 
woman shall bruise the serpent's head." 
Build ye an altar, and offer bloody sacrifices 
with faith in the atonement they typify. 
But the Holy Spirit, as well as the Son, is rep- 



120 



LECTURE VI. 



res ented as conveying the mind of God to 
men, and this seems to be the distinction be- 
tween their prophetic offices. When reve- 
lation was to be made by impressions on the 
minds of men, as in the larger portions of 
our written word, it was by the agency of 
the Holy Spirit ; for " holy men of old spake 
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost but 
when this revelation was made by sensible 
apparitions, then it was, always, as we have 
before seen, made by the Son of God, who 
is therefore called the prophet of his people. 

How impor tant this use of the distinctions 
in the Trinity, my brethren, if we once con- 
sider that, without it, we should have remain- 
ed for ever destitute of any saving knowledge. 
Spiritual ignorance is one of the first fruits of 
sin ; and it seems perfectly certain, that with- 
out such a revelation as we have mentioned, 
all knowledge of God, and duty, and salva- 
tion, had been excluded from our minds. 

3. Let us look at this doctrine once more, 
in its relation to the government of God's people. 
In such a state as we have contemplated, 
they surely need a Governor ; but none but 
a Divine Being, if you consider in what the 
church is to be ruled and defended, would 
be competent to that government, and you 
accordingly hear it said expressly, " that God 



LECTURE VI. 



121 



is King himself" But this government, it 
seems, required, in many instances, God's vis- 
ible presence among his people ; and such a 
presence, we have already seen, could only 
be through a Mediator. The Mediator it 
was, accordingly, who appeared to give laws 
in Zion. He was seen in the garden as a 
Judge — he was seen at Sinai as a, Law-giver — 
he presided through all the journeyings of Is- 
rael as a Defender, and ere they finally pos- 
sessed their rest, stood before them at Jor- 
dan as Captain of the armies of the Lord. 

It would not be difficult to show that he 
rules in a similar manner for Zion now ; and 
it would afford entertaining thoughts for the 
believer to trace him, as his and Jerusalem's 
King, through all the militant state. But 
when you do so, brethren, remember it is on- 
ly as a person in the God-head that such a 
ruler is provided. 

4. The right view of an atonement, or a pro- 
per satisfaction for sin and a sufficient righteous- 
ness for sinners, is wholly dependent on the 
truth of this doctrine. Particularly is this 
true, in relation to the character now given 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and because the 
subject is of the first importance, we shall 
devote a more particular attention to it. 

We say then, according to the principles 



J22 



LECTURE VL 



of God's government and character, which 
are disclosed in the plan of redemption a- 
dopted by him, it does appear, that no other 
character, than that which has been given to 
the second person of the Trinity, could ev- 
er have made an adequate atonement for sin- 
ners. This is not the same as saying, that 
God could not have devised another method, 
though we confess we cannot see it possible : 
nor is it the same as it would have been for 
us to judge beforehand on what should be ne- 
cessary. But it is a judgment arising from the 
principles disclosed to us in this very trans- 
action, and a judgment which goes to say 
that this method of saving sinners being a- 
dopted, none but just such a character as is 
now given to Jesus Christ is competent to 
it. What then are the principles disclosed 
in this transaction, and how is the character 
now given to Jesus Christ found competent 
to their requirements ? 

We answer : it appears incontrovertibly, 
that God would have a satisfaction for hu viola- 
ted law ; and that to be a satisfaction, it must 
be full and perfect. For the fact that God 
gave his Son, whatever the character of that 
Son be now supposed, proves that he was not 
willing to pass over transgression without a 
satisfaction ; and that the satisfaction must 



LECTURE Yl. 



123 



Be full and complete, appears, not only from 
the nature of justice, but from this also, that 
if a part could be dispensed with, a greater 
part might— and then a greater still, until 
the exaction might have been omitted alto- 
gether. 

It appears in this transaction too, that man 
could neve?* have made this satisfaction. It is 
a satisfaction for another ; but man, even in 
holiness, owed all his obedience for himself : 
how much less then, in his fallen state, shall 
he be able to work redemption, when igno- 
rance, and weakness, and continual sin, are 
daily augmenting his difficulties ? 

It appears, once more, from these trans- 
actions, that God is so holy and awfully re- 
tired from his creatures, especially from his 
fallen creatures, that he will not let himself 
down, or be approached by them, without the inter- 
vention of a Mediator. 

These are the difficulties disclosed. Let 
us see now how they are all met in the char- 
acter and office which we have given to the 
Redeemer. He can interpose between God 
and man, with acceptance to both parties, 
for we have proved him to possess the nature 
of both : he can make a satisfaction to God's 
law for another, by putting himself under it, 
lor he neither owes obedience nor penalty 



124 



LECTURE VI. 



to that law for himself ; and he can make & 
full and perfect satisfaction, in as much as 
he is an infinite being, and has joined that 
perfection to a nature in which it was possi- 
ble for Lim to suffer. 

Thus is every requirement, in order to re- 
demption, provided for in this'View of the Sav- 
iour's character, and it is not provided for on 
any other view. If you make him a man, it 
might be asked why he was given at all ? 
Why not Adam, or any other sinner, make 
his own atonement as w r ell as this man ? If 
you make him a sinless man, your difficul- 
ties are not removed, for then he owes all 
his obedience for himself ; and if you carry 
up his dignity to that of an angel, or the 
highest of all created beings, these difficul- 
ties still follow you : the moment you admit 
a created being, he comes under God's law — 
he owes it all his obedience every moment, 
with all his soul and strength, for his own 
sake ; and how shall he do more than that, 
to make obedience for another — and what 
right has he to do it ? How shall a created be- 
ing become a surety ? You have this besides to 
dispose of, that no created being has ever ye 
possessed a two fold nature, and of course 
could not be a proper Mediator between 
God and man ; and this still further, that 



LECTURE VI. 



120 



the satisfaction which any created being 
could make to a broken law, could never, as 
we have seen it must be, be an infinite satis- 
faction. So essentially connected with all 
consistent views of the atonement is the 
doctrine we have advanced respecting the 
character of a Redeemer. It is its very 
vitality — it gloriously provides for every 
thing ; and without it, I hesitate not to say, 
that nothing is provided for. 

In urging our second position, thai the doc- 
trine of a Trinity is essentially connected 
with our immortal hopes, we might go much 
further — and perhaps theological correctness 
would require we should go further than this, 
and speak of the offices of the Holy Spirit 
also. These are no less important, nor do 
they less essentially depend on the distinc- 
tions of a God-head, than those which have 
been considered. We are willing to close 
here, however. Enough, perhaps, has been 
said of each of the persons ; and with the 
necessity of just such a Saviour as we wor* 
ship, distinctly before us, w r e shall be best 
prepared for a suitable application of the 
subject. 

Need it be wondered, I ask then, if, with 
such views before us, we should give incalcula- 
hie importance to the doctrine of a Trinity ? 

11* 



126 



LECTURE VL 



We have before proved that it exists ; and 
we have to day attempted to show its uses. 
The glory of God's character, and our own 
immortal hopes, have been seen to be con- 
cerned in it ; and with respect to the latter 
especially, we saw that an interposition for 
fallen man — a revelation of God's will — the 
government of his church, and the possible ex- 
piation and righteousness of a single sinner, 
could in no other way be provided. All 
these offices we have seen depending on the 
distinction of persons in the God-head ; but 
to shut the last door against misapprehen- 
sion, I add once more, that we ascribe none 
of these offices to a person in the Trinity, 
aside from God. These persons all agree in 
one, and it is, therefore, all the work of D.e- 
ity. 

I now ask again, can it be wondered at, 
that we attach so much consequence to this 
doctrine ? We might answer abstractly, 
that we have attached no more conse- 
quence to it than the Scriptures have done — 
for they have guarded every portion of it 
with something like an anathama. (See 
Math. iv. 10. John. v. 23, and Math, xii. 
32.) But we offer our reasons : The doc- 
trine exhibits a glory unseen without it, in 
the character of God j and all our hopes. 



LECTURE VI. 



as fallen sinners, are involved in its applicat- 
ion. We hesitate not to say, that . the no- 
tion of a satisfaction for sin, and salvation by 
the imputed righteousness of Christ, is, with- 
out this doctrine, an entire absurdity. Not 
but men may talk of such a righteousness 
without it, and be in the habit of ascribing 
glory to Christ, and even worshipping him, 
where it is denied, and perhaps, through ig- 
norance, do all this sincerely. But this can- 
not consistently be done : properly consider- 
ed, it would be as absurd to give the work 
of atonement to Christ — to worship him, or 
to ask any thing in his name, if he were not 
a divine and uncreated being, as it would to 
make a man our Saviour, or to deny our need 
of one altogether. 

The latter ha3 been the course usually 
adopted accordingly, by all reflecting unbe- 
lievers in the Divinity of our Saviour. 
Those who have reduced that denial to a 
system, have had the sagacity to see that it 
is utterly inconsistent with the admission 
that God's justice requires a satisfaction — 
that man is fully depraved, or needs a regen- 
erating change : they fully deny, accordingly, 
all these positions. They refuse to wor- 
ship Christ — they do not baptize in hisname^ 
or ask blessings for his sake ; and as to the 



128 



LECTURE VI. 



new birth, they scout it as altogether ideal. 
Dreadful as this is, it is consistent, a thou- 
sand times more so, than to make Christ a 
created being, and still to retain experimen- 
tal religion* and seek it in his name. The 
reason is, that the admission of one is incon- 
sistent with the necessity of the other. And 
though we do not urge to it, we venture to 
predict, that the time will come, when all, 
who deny the doctrine of a Trinity, will take 
the same ground. Such sects cannot endure 
long, without being reduced to system ; and 
if ever reduced to system by reflecting men? 
they must reject all these important points 
of doctrine. 

But it is time to close. I wish my hearers 
to feel, that in all they know affirm of God 
—-that every time they address him in the 
name of Christ — that in every baptism — 
that in all they say or hold of salvation by 
grace, they involve and admit the doctrine of 
a Trinity. But they do not admit too much, 
since this doctrine is every where taught in 
the Bible ; nor do they admit that, I trust, in 
which they feel no interest. Surely, if I 
may judge others by myself, it has been 
pleasant to examine a subject, where so 
much and so great a variety of sacred truth 
is elicited ; a broad and beautiful foundation 



LECTURE VI, 



129 



of all other truth is found too — a good hope 
through grace is erected upon it — and never 
ending praises to Father* Son and Holy 
Ghost, are seen to be due for the mercy. 

The Lord grant us all an interest in this 
hope, without which all our speculations, and 
doctrinal correctness, will only enhance our 
misery, Amen. 



LECTURE VII 



THE ORIGINAL AND PRESENT STATE OF MAN. 



ECCLESIASTE3 vii. 29. 

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man 
upright ; but they have sought out many inven- 
tions. 

We have only to look candidly at the na- 
ture and condition of man, to be convinced 
that he was not always what he now is. At 
present, his natural condition is sufficiently 
unhappy, All around him you find a world 
filled with tokens of some signal calamity. 
The earth yawns in caverns and impenitra- 
ble wastes : the heavens are filled with tem- 
pests and disease : his own body is the seat 
of consuming decay : fierce passions discom- 
pose his soul ; and, unbridled in the hands 
of power and ambition, spread want, and op- 
pression, and cruelty throughout the world. 
Now, if there be any such thing as a presi- 
ding Providence, and you would not impeach 
the justice or the wisdom of that Provi- 



132 



LECTURE VII. 



dence, it is natural to regard this state of 
things as the punishment of guilt. There 
are many natural intimations, accordingly, 
that such was not always the condition of 
this world. Rocks must have been entire 
before they could have been rent — and 
trees, and swamps, and barren soils, must 
have been thrifty and fruitful before they be- 
came the subjects of decay. 

You have similar intimations in the con- 
stitution of man. His occasional flashes of 
genius intimate the ruins of fallen intellect : 
his aspiring desires and his delicate social 
affections, without implying any qualities 
that partake of holiness, do, nevertheless, 
seem to remind us of what he once was — a 
being of nobler powers, and made for a bet- 
ter state of existence. 

Why is it, moreover, if this supposition be 
not correct, that the philosophy of heathen- 
ism has so universally supposed a primitive 
state of innocence and happiness ? It may 
be that the sentiment was borrowed from 
tradition ; but the fact is unquestionable. In 
their writings they allude to an age of brass^ 
in opposition to wkat they call the present or 
age oiiron : farther back than that, they tell 
of an age of silver ; and finally, of an age of 



LECTURE VII. 



133 



gold, when the earth was free from every evil, 
and men were innocent and happy. 

So many intimations, pointing to the same 
result, assure us that the moral and natural 
condition of man was once different, with as 
much certainty as the existence of sea- 
shells on the tops of mountains assures the 
naturalist that ail these mountains were once 
the bed of the ocean. 

Opening now the pages of revelation, 
what was before obscure is made clear. All 
our suppositions on this subject are confirm- 
ed. Such a primitive condition of innocence 
and happiness is authoritatively asserted : the 
causes of change are explained, and the pres- 
ent state of man, morally and naturally con- 
sidered, is also taught us. 

These are the truths then, to w r hich I shall 
now direct your attention. And 

I. Of the original condition of man. 

The scriptural account of this is very 
simple and yet expressive. God made 
them male and female, in the image of God 
created He them. (Gen. i. 27.) By this, we 
are undoubtedly to understand that there 
was a resemblance in all the moral attri- 
butes of man to those of his Maker; and 
what higher description than this can you 
have of perfect holiness ? Man was like 

12 



134 



LECTURE VII. 



God in every possible perfection, as far as 
a created can be like an uncreated being. 
His mind was pure, elastic and aspiring — his 
affections, all warmed w r ith gratitude and 
love, were fixed on their proper object — his 
will, conformed to the Divine will, knew no 
tendencies to leave the track of duty. Ev- 
ery faculty of the creature was perfectly 
hallowed and harmonious with other facul- 
ties, and a raised, improving, and heavenly 
tendency was constantly given to the whole. 
And as man was holy, so was he happy. 
Many of the properties w r e have mentioned 
did indeed, of themselves, partake of happi- 
ness ; but it was thus ordered also, as the 
rew 7 ard of virtue. God so placed man as to 
secure happiness. Our simple, but express- 
ive description of holy writ, is, that it was 
in a garden, where the Lord God caused 
M to grow 7 every tree that is pleasant to the 
sight, and good for food ; the tree of life, al- 
so, in the midst of the garden, and the tree 
of knowledge of good and evil." (Gen. ii. 
9.) This description implies much more 
than it expresses. It tells us that man, in 
innocence, was altogether free from every 
natural evil, as w ell as in possession of every 
temporal good ; and then, since many of 
these objects in the garden are known to be 



LECTURE VII. 



135, 



typical, it directs us to those spiritual en- 
joyments, of which he was now, in so high a 
degree, a recipient. 

There, in a literal sense, the tree of life 
bent with never failing fruit: there the river 
of life flowed through the midst of the gar- 
den : there every wind of heaven murmured 
iii soft and gentle harmony : there the in- 
fant sun shot his best rays. There, then, w r as 
labour without toil — and rest without exhaus- 
tion : there beast, and fowl, and reptile, 
mingled free of fear to man, or animosity to 
each other : there was social love, without its 
weakness and its defects : there every work 
of wonder and of wisdom, gave a heavenward 
direction to the adoring soul of man ; and 
God himself in consideration of that moral si- 
militude which existed between him and his 
creature, did not deem it unmeet to descend 
and visit man — walking with him often, in the 
person of his Son, and filling his infant mind 
with all of heaven it was capable of receiv- * 
ing. 

In this state God made a covenant with man .* 
It was what is commonly called the covenant of 
works ; because the conditions of it were per- 
fect obedience with the penalty of death for 
forfeiture. " And the Lord God commanded 
the man, saying, of every tree of the garden 



136 



LECTURE ViL 



thou ma jest freely eat ; but of the tree of the 
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not 
eat of it : for in the day that thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt surely die." (Gen. ii. 16, 
17.) 

There are two considerations in favour of 
considering this covenant as containing a 
promise of eternal life. The one is, that the 
permission to eat of the tree of life w ould 
probably have secured immortality : man was 
prevented eating of this tree after his fall, 
lest he should live forever ; and this leads us to 
suppose that the fruit of this tree had 
something of virtue in it, either in its nature, 
or by God's special appointment, to prevent 
death. 

The other consideration is, that death 
was threatened for disobedience ; but ev- 
ery covenant is reciprocal, and life seems, 
therefore, the proper condition of obedi- 
ence. 

The penalty of death, for disobedience, 
on the other hand, is generally believed to 
imply, not merely natural death, but that al- 
so w hich was spiritual and eternal Spiritual 
death would certainly follow, on the removal 
of the image of God ; and then death eter- 
nal must necessarily succeed. The condem- 
nation of the law, under which the sinner 



LECTURE VH. 



137 



would fall, knows no limits— moreover, " the 
iva^es of sin is death " 

These, then, we believe to have been the 
terms of the covenant ; x and this completes 
the original condition of man. He is holy, 
happ) — fully happy, in the midst of every 
natural and moral delight. All this is prom- 
ised to be continued and improved, on con- 
dition of his obedience : all is lost, forfeited 
and changed, if he disobey. Never was crea- 
ture more blest : never did created being 
hold so responsible a station. We behold 
the constitution of a world — the moral and 
natural condition of unnumbered millions, 
now pending on an individual obedience. 

IL But this state of primitive glory and 
happiness has been lost. Let us now cox- 
template THE CAUSE AND MANNER OF THE 
CHANGE. 

The scriptural account is, that our first pa- 
rents disobeyed and broke this covenant. 
At the suggestions of Satan, concealed in 
the form of a serpent, they indulged the 
principles of unbelief, pride and rebellion, 
and ate of that tree, which was selected and 
prohibited ' as a test of their obedience. 
How minds, which were perfectly holy, 
could thus be made to preponderate in favour 

of sin, we cannot easily conceive j but we 

12* 



138 



LECTURE VII. 



are sure of the fact ; and after all, it involves 
no greater difficulty than every other moral 
change which is wrought upon a volunta- 
ry agent. Those who think to make it 
plain, how a free sinner can become a saint, 
and yet God be sovereign in the operation, 
may also undertake to inform us, how Adam 
could have fallen, or those angels, who fell 
before him. 

The fact is, we cannot explain it: the 
scriptures merely tell us that man was free — 
that he was tempted, yielded and fell. We 
must rest with the facts: there is nothing 
absurd in them ; but, like a thousand other 
truths in divine things, they are beyond our 
comprehension. 

It is objected, however, that this was too 
trifling an act to involve such serious conse- 
quences ; and by those who are not willing 
to take the ground of the infidel, and sneer at 
it altogether, another view has been adopt- 
ed, and the whole history been considered 
an allegory. 

Perhaps we have met wkh those, who 
considered this whole history of the apple* 
the woman, and the serpent, as only a figu- 
rative representation of some great trans- 
gression by which man fell under the dis- 
pleasure of his Maker. We cannot admit 



LECTURE VII. 



139" 



this, however. Moses, in this early history, 
does not appear to be speaking in parables, 
as our Saviour sometimes did. All the rest 
is a plain prose narrative ; and it would be 
very extraordinary if, in such a connexion, 
and on one of the most serious of subjects, 
he should introduce a highly mystical al- 
legory, without giving the least intima- 
tion of it. Besides, we think it an unsafe 
practice to be interpreting plain scriptures 
mystically. Whenever the Saviour spoke 
in parables, he gave a fair intimation of it. If 
we venture to understand other scriptures in 
this way, where there is no such intimation, 
there is no knowing w 7 here it will lead us* 
We believe, then, that we are to understand 
this history of man's fall as it reads : a very 
brief sketch, indeed, as all those early nar- 
ratives are ; but, as far as it goes, true and 
literal. 

And now for the objection that this w r as a 
trifling act, we think the objector has not 
properly considered the subject. It was a 
trifling act in itself, and so are many others 
of most eventful consequence ; but what 
were its relations ? Why, it was a test select- 
ed by the Almighty himself, for the trial of 
obedience ; and therefore, the more simple 
the greater the guilt of transgression : it was 



no 



LECTURE VII. 



openty and solemnly announced as being 
that test, and Adam could not and did not mis- 
understand at all, that on his eating or for- 
bearing to eat of 'that tree, was suspended 
all the conditions of the , covenant This 
keeping of the covenant was encouraged, 
moreover, by the promise of eternal life, as 
was also its violation, guarded by the awful 
threatening of death. We believe too, that 
Adam knew his standing in this trial to be, 
not only for himself, but lor his posterity. 
\S e know, finally, that he was possessed of 
the most pure and exalted powers for with- 
standing evil ; and if, in these circumstan- 
ces, pressed with all these powerful consid- 
erations, he ate and fell, w e cannot consider 
it a trifling transaction. At all events, the 
scriptures assure us that this was the manner 
of man's fall; and they attach sufficient im- 
portance to the act in the consequences 
which they ascrihe to it. These, however, 
will be more properly considered in the next 
division of our subject 

III. The present state op man, morally 

AND NATURALLY CONSIDERED. 

Preliminary to this, it will be necessary to 
shew that the state of the unconverted world 
is precisely the same now, with one excep- 
tion, as was that of Adam, in consequence of 



LECTURE VIL 



141 



the fall. This exception is, that a Saviour 
has been provided, and that the very provis- 
ion has suspended the curse from execution 
for a season. But, as it respects sinners, 
this provision does not otherwise benefit 
them, until it is received by faith in repent- 
ance, so that it is proper, with this exception, 
to consider /alien Adam and his fallen chil- 
dren together. 

This is further evident, if vou consider our 
first parents in this trial, as standing for the 
representative head of their race. But the 
language and representations of scripture do 
not permit any doubt that they did stand a 
representative head to their race. 4i By the 
offence of one,'* says Paul, u judgment came 
upon all men to condemnation." (Rom. v. 
18.) And he further represents, and at large, 
that the offence of Adam was reckoned to 
his posterity in the same way as the righteous- 
ness of Christ is reckoned to his spiritual family. 

From this and other representations, I un-* 
derstand, then, that Adam stood in this trial 
as a federal head for others. If he stood, they 
all stood ; if he fell, they all were to be con- 
sidered as fallen, and of course, that the slate 
of all the unconverted world is the same 
now, with the above exception, as Adam's 
wa>s immediately after the fall 



142 



LECTURE VII. 



We wish to convince yon, however, of an- 
other preliminary truth, and that is, that 
such a state of fallen men — this reckoning to 
them of their first father's sin—is perfectly 
consistent with their own guilt and inexcusa- 
bleness. 

It may he said with truth, that the conse- 
quences of Adam's sin rest on an infant, be- 
fore he is capable of moral action, so that 
he suffers and dies in consequence, and 
needs regeneration as well as others, in order 
to fit him for heaven. This is consistent too 
with God's justice, else it would not happen ; 
but that is not the present subject of inquiry. 
We are enquiring after guilt in the common 
acceptation of the term ; of course we must 
go to the adult person, or the actual sinner. 
And now we insist, that he is no less guilty, 
or more excusable, on account of the impu- 
tation of original sin to him ; for he daily de- 
lights in the same things as the first sinner 
did> and refuses to let them go. What is it 
to him. how he came by his disposition to 
sin ? he has it now, and he indulges in it. 
What is it to him, whether his sins came in 
consequence of this imputation, and as a pun- 
ishment of it, or whether his actual sins had 
preceded ? What difference can it make in 
his guilt, whether he sins with every other 



LECTURE VII. 



143 



sinner that has gone before him, or whether 
he should have stood alone and for himself? 
One thing is certain ; he is now a sinner, a 
voluntary one, and his whole disposition and 
conduct shew that, had he stood thus alone, 
he would have fallen as Adam did. No, he 
is not less guilty; he is not the more excusa- 
ble : he must not call it a mere misfortune of 
his that Atlam stood for his posterity. 

If it is now established that the fallen world 
of sinners are in the same state, with one 
exception^ that fallen Adam was, and that 
sinners are nevertheless guilty, in that state, 
we are prepared, therefore, to look at this 
subject more directly* 

There is involved in this fallen state of 
man, then, a loss of the image of God. This 
seems to have been one of the first effects ap- 
parent in Adam — his whole moral nature be- 
came dissimilar to God. That lovely Being, 
in whose presence he before took delight, 
and with whom, in virtue of this moral like- 
ness, he was permitted to commune, now be- 
came an object of distaste and fear, and he 
fled from his presence — just as the unhappy 
sinner now disrelishes God's holiness — lives 
all his days without one sweet thought of 
him ; and sedulously avoids his presence and 
Svery company that savours of his charae- 



144 



LECTURE VII. 



ter : thus incontrovertibly proving that he is 
fallen precisely where Adam was after his 
apostaey: that, according to another scrip- 
ture, God is not in all his thoughts /that he is 
entirely depraved. 

But, it is asked, if we do not read that men 
are made even now in the image of God? No ; 
it is not said thnt men are now so made. 
James dors indeed say of the tongue, that 
; < therewith bless we God, and curse men, 
ivho are made after the similitude of God ! n But 
he is evidently speaking of man in respect 
to the order of his existence among God's 
works ; and he agrees that he should not be 
cursed, because he holds so exalted a rank in 
these works. This, then, refers us to what 
man was, when his place in creation was first 
assigned him ; and the passage is the same as 
if he had said, therewith curse we man, that 
exalted order of being, which was made in 
the image of God ! 

The other proofs, that man, in conse- 
quence of the fall, is entirely destitute of ho- 
liness^ are too obvious and too painful to re- 
quire enlargement. Alas ! that w r e should 
know so much of them ! W hat says this 
universal tendency to sin and d< basement in 
human nature? What says this astonishing 
blindness of mind and stubbornness of the 



LECTURE VII. 



145 



will in sinners ? Whence this presumptuous 
forgetfulness and abuse of God by depend- 
ent creatures ? Why all these groans and 
strugglings for the dominion of every thing 
that is hateful even in christians, if it be not 
that man has entirely alienated himself from 
his original resemblance to God ? 

Another part of fallen man's misery is, that 
he lies under a sentence of condemnation. The pe* 
nalty of the covenant was just and good, 
and this was, that in the day of transgression 
man should die. Having incurred this pen- 
alty, therefore, the sentence justly fell upon 
him. Man died iri law and justice. We have 
proved that the sentence is the same to us as 
it was to Adam. We then lie under this 
curse, Instantly, as soon as we begin to live, 
we come under it. It seizes upon every in- 
fant as soon as he breathes ; for " that which 
is born of the flesh, is flesh" and must be born 
again in order to escape condemnation. It 
cleaves to every stage of youth ; it grows with 
our years, and increases with all our sins. 
It hangs over the head of every presumptu- 
ous legalist : it pursues the careless neglec- 
tor of vital godliness down to his grey hairs, 
and his last evasion. It stands by his death 
bed : it presents its thundering claim to eve- 
ry false plea of indulgence from the general 

13 

i 



LECTURE VII. 



mercy of God ; and when the soul departs, 
if it still depart without a better hope, seiz- 
es that trembling soul, and binds and devours 
it as all its own. So rigid — so immoveably 
just is that condemning curse which hangs 
over us all, until effectually taken away by 
the atonement of the Great Redeemer. 

Finally, we are to take into this account of 
man's present misery, all those natural evils 
with which he is surrounded. But how great, 
how extensive a part of our experience, do 
these natural evils comprise ! From infancy 
to age, we groan under them. They meet 
us wherever we turn our eye, or direct our 
contemplation. 

Of what diabolical cruelties is man guil- 
ty to his tellow man ! What oceans of hu- 
man blood have soaked the earth to make 
way for the thrones of ambition ! What 
want and plagues have bloated the grave 
with dead ! What pains and accidents tor- 
ture and deform our bodies ! What tears and 
crosses, and bereavements, and mental in- 
firmities, disturb and destroy our peace ! 
What dangers do we encounter from air, 
earth, sea, sun, moon and stars ! What poi- 
sonous qualities mingle in almost every sub- 
stance ! What disorders do we sometimes see 
in the heavens ! ^tvhat convulsions in the 



LECTURE VIL 



earth ! what distressful revolutions ! what 
crumbling of thrones ! what instability of 
empires ! What distresses do we suffer from 
slander, from violence, from our own impru- 
dence, and not the least of all, from the 
pangs of remorse, and the anticipations of 
that worm that shall never cease its gnaw- 
ings ! All these, and a thousand more, may 
be thrown together in the class of natural 
evils. They go to make up, not only the 
proof, but the inheritance of our fallen state. 
A righteous, but a sad inheritance it is ! Such 
is the sum of our view of our original state, 
the cause of change, and of our present con- 
dition. No part of the representation, Ihope* 
will be considered as exaggerated. It cannot 
be, for the truth is matter of general and dai- 
ly experience. 

There are two reflections to which 1 wish 
to turn your attention, as growing out of th\B 
subject, and then I have done. The first is, 
that we should always, in speaking of evil, con* 
nect it with its cause* We have seen it to b£ 
the constitution of God's government, thafe 
guilt should always precede suffering. The 
world did not experience its change to evil 
until Adam had sinned : even our infant suf- 
ferings do not commence until that guilt is 
reckoned to us : our actual sins have a still 



i m 



LECTURE VIL. 



more direct connection with misery. Wheit- 
ever we see misery therefore, and deplore it, 
it should always be considered as connected 
with our guilt Instead of idly lamenting evil, 
and speaking of it as a mere misfortune, it 
would be more correct to say, / have procu- 
red that evil, or / have aggravated it, and to 
mourn over ourselves accordingly, 
r But, secondly, what a dreadful evil, in 
view of this subject, is sin! If we cannot so 
sensibly enter into its deformity, as commit- 
ted against a holy God; if we are not touch- 
ed by seeing its presumption, pride, unbelief 
and dishonour, in breaking Adam's covenant 
and depriving him of all his hope and happi- 
ness ; if these views of sin do not affect you, 
I would invite you to look at some of its nat- 
ural consequences. Let us select a single in- 
stance : 

The city of Barcelona, in Spain, is, at this 
moment, (1822) suffering the visitation of a 
terrible plague. One thousand inhabitants 
are said to die daily. The dead cannot be 
all buried ; but lie in heaps upon the pave- 
ments, or putrify in horrid masses in the midst 
of their houses. Ten thousand dead are re- 
presented as thus lying unburied at once, and 
twenty carts, filled with their bodies, cannot 
remove them a^ fast as thev accumulate. In 



LECTURE VII. 149 

the town of Barcelonett, in that vicinity, the 
last person has perished ; and the frightful 
description of a writer on the spot is, that 
"all the world is dead!" Glance your 
thought at this picture; consider it as con- 
nected with all the usual attendants of dis- 
tress— of terror — of mental horror, and of 
agonized affections. Now consider death as 
personified in this instance, as standing 
over this devoted city, with a giant form 
as tall as the heavens, and with a counte- 
nance dark and unrelenting, dealing these 
nameless miseries in one unremitted and hor- 
rible ministration ; and when this one city is. 
desolated, conceive of him as departing, with 
unsatiated cruelty, to send the same plagues 
into another; and then another and another, 
till the last living existence of the world has 
yielded to his sway : until our whole wide 
earth and sea exhibit but one waste of moul- 
dering, dreary, moveless carcases — a void 
and horrible silence reigns overall. Con- 
ceive of this, and you may have some idea of 
the natural evils of sin. Amen. 



13^ 



LECTURE VIIL 



THE COVENANT OF GRACE. 



JOB xxxiii. 23, 24. 

If there, be a messenger with him, an interpreter, om 
of a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness ? 
hen He is gracious unto him, and saith, deliver him 
from going down to the pit : I have found a ran- 
som* 

On no subject of scripture, perhaps, doeg 
the strong and lively language of metaphor 
so often obtain, as when speaking of the de- 
liverance of the soul from death by the in* 
terposition of a Redeemer. This Redeem- 
er is sometime called a strong hold? and 
then sinners are urged to flee into it : some- 
times an ark, a tower, a city of refuge — in all 
which representations, danger, on the part o 
men, is implied, and on the part of God, a 
provision for deliverance* 

This state of danger and misery is further 
represented under the terms, bondage, death* 
the grave, & land of famine, and a horrible pit 



152 



LECTURE VIII. 



With all these, however, some representation 
of relief is usually connected, and this is 
presented in the like figurative form : as of 
a victor, overcoming the enemy — a father, 
forgiving a penitent child— & provident Prince, 
relieving the miseries of famine — a compas- 
sionate benefactor, conferring favour on the dis- 
tressed- — or a meritorious ransom, procuring 
deliverance for the imprisoned. 

But the illustration of young Elihu, in our 
text, is more striking than any yet adduced. 
Literally taken, it is the description of a case 
of severe sickness in an individual, and a 
restoration to health, which God, in his prov- 
idence, graciously grants upon repentance 
and the application of proper remedies. 
We cannot think, however, that it is to be 
limited by this construction. There are ex- 
pressions and personages, as well as facts^ 
introduced into this description, which seem 
to make it consistent, only on the supposi- 
tion of being intended, in its highest sense, 
of the deliverance of a fallen world from death? 
upon the intervention of a Redeemer. 

In this sense, therefore, w e shall now use 
it. Our last lecture left man under all the 
miseries resulting from a violated covenant 
of works : let us now look at his provision- 
al deliverance, by the covenant of grace. 



LECTURE V1IL 



153 



L And first, of the parties in this cove-* 
nant. Our text presents us with two, who 
may properly be considered parties in the 
covenant, and then with a third, who is the 
subject of it. It is God the Father, who finds 
a ransom, and proclaims an act of deliver- 
ance upon it : it is God the Son, evidently, 
w ho is here represented as the procuring cause 
of the deliverance ; and he is called, also, 
as he is in many other scriptures, a messen- 
ger, an angel, an interpreter, or prophet, 6 one 
of a thousand? on this account, and the very 
ransom, or Hebrew ceper, so often presented 
as the meritorious price of our deliverance. 
These are properly the parties, since, af- 
ter the fall, to which this transaction looks, 
only Divine Beings could enter into the cov- 
enant ; but there is another party presented 
as the subject of this transaction, and that is 
man, or the poor, sick and despairing invalid 
of our text, ; whose soul draweth near to 
death and his life to the destroyers.'* — What 
more striking representation can we have 
of our fallen state, as lying in the midst of 
all those miseries, which we so lately con- 
templated ? 

II. £ut let us now, in the second place^ 

LOOK AT THE TRANSACTION ITSELF. Man is 

represented as lying in his guilt and help- 



154 



LECTURE VIII. 



lessness, under the miseries of the great 
condemnation. In this state, we believe God 
looked at him from eternity ; and now, 
whether we take our text as alluding to that 
eternal arrangement of mercy, which was 
made between the persons of the God-head, 
or only a particular dispensation of that 
plan, in the interposition made by the Son, 
at the time of the fall, in either way we 
have the same essential features of a cove- 
nant. 

The fallen w r orld is sinking under the 
weight of the curse in progressive and cer- 
tain destruction, like the poor diseased pa- 
tient of our text — no remedy has reached his 
case— no cheering symptoms of natural 
abatement appear : the wasting effects of 
disease are every moment more visible,, and 
the despairing decision has already been an- 
nounced, that he must die ! Essential Deity 
is represented as presiding over the scene. 
Not with vindictive and unsatiated anger, 
does God look down upon the fallen world ; 
but he inspects it, and presides over its 
destinies, as a righteous Judge. He seems to 
aay, ; the sick man is dying — he dies justly — 
necessarily : it is in consequence of his own 
sin, and I shall not arrest his progress,' AH 
tlpg Divine attributes, if we might personify 



LECTURE VIII. 



155 



them, are seen joining in the righteous de- 
cision. Equity represents the perfect consis- 
tency of suffering man to die, in the natural 
consequences of voluntary sin : holiness sug- 
gests the impossibility of permitting pollu- 
tion to enter God's presence : justice pleads 
the danger of suffering a broken law to re- 
main unvindicated ; and love, and pity, and 
benevolence, prevented by the awful difficul- 
ties of deliverance, open no plea in its fa- 
vour. 

If, however, a plan could be devised, for 
consistent deliverance — if a person could be 
found competent to carry it into effect, man 
might yet be saved. All these holy attri- 
butes would heartily rejoice in such a plan, 
and the Deity be glorified by its develop- 
ment. 

This part of the glorious transaction was 
reserved for the So\. He was competent to it ; 
for he possessed the characteristics of both 
the parties, and could therefore be an inter* 
preter and one of a thousand between them. 
He had a right to dispose of his services, be- 
ing under no law, as a creature. He was 
willing as he was able to save; and he cri- 
ed, " Lo I come. In the volume of the book 
it is written of me ? to do thy will, O God* 9 , 



158 



LECTURE VilL 



As this is supposed, at present, to relate 
rather to the interposition of a mediator, at 
the fall, than to the covenant of eternity, 
the speech of the Son may be thus para- 
phrazed : 44 Behold me, Father; here I stand, 
the advocate of that fallen world : Is it not 
remembered, that in the visions of eternity, 
when we looked down on man, as lying in this 
condition, I undertook to be his surety ? Is it 
not written in the volume of the heavenly 
records, that I should appear to do this ser- 
vice ? Gladly 1 now obey the decree ! 1 stand 
for yonder wretched world : I bear their 
load : I engage for their duty : I will satisfy 
for their guilt : they are mine, and shall be, 
by every sacrifice it may cost me ! 1 am rea- 
dy, even now, if need be, to assume their na- 
ture. I will begin their deliverance : I will 
enlighten them, govern them, die for them, 
and sanctify them, that all thy attributes may 
be sacred, and heaven not polluted by 
their admission. Remember the covenant, 
gracious Father; this fallen world is mine, 
and must be spared for mercy.— And now, 
that it is consistent to do so, behold their 
wretchedness, Father, and let it move thee to 
pity. Look at this poor diseased sinner : " his 
flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be 
seen; his bones stick out, yea, his soul draw- 



LECTURE VIII. 



157 



eth near to death, and his life to the destroy- 
ers:" lover and friend he has none ; his com- 
panions are helpless as himself, and none 
from above is permitted to pity him. Is there 
then- no balm in Gilead ? is there no physi- 
cian ? Father, shall not / undertake this kind- 
ly office ? shall I not bind up man's wounds* 
and rebuke his sore diseases ? Friend of 
the friendless— helper of the helpless and 
despairing — where shall man go for mercy f 
but to Thee ? Wilt thou not pity the crea- 
ture whom thou hast made ? wilt thou not, 
for my sake, permit his release from death ?" 

The Father can resist it no longer : he has 
presided as Judge and Governor in this 
scene, until the means of deliverance have 
been made manifest, and his part of declaring 
the decision is fully prepared ; and he now 
cries, with all the mercies of the melting 
father beaming in his countenance, Yes : I 
will spare them— I can, I do— I delight to 
spare them : " Deliver them from going down 
to the pit : I have found a ransom." Be 
it proclaimed in the high armies of heaven, 
that this is in virtue of an eternal contract 
with my Son. Be it remembered, that I here 
take him " for a covenant to the people," in 
all things necessary for their redemption — » 
" he shall magnify the law and make it hon* 

U 



158 



LECTURE VIII. 



Durable :" "he shall pour out his soul an offer- 
ing for sin :" " he shall see his seed :" " they 
shall be v, illing in the day of his power"— 
* in the beauty of holiness," and as nu- 
merous as the dew from the womb of the 
morning. This day, therefore, 1 proclaim 
him my beloved Son, and set him upon my 
holy hill of Zion. " And he shall reign un- 
til he hath put all enemies under his feet :" 
" He shall judge the world:" " he shall 
gather his elect from the four corners of 
heaven, with a great sound of a trumpet :" 
He shall confirm them in glory, " an innu- 
merable multitude, which no man can num- 
ber ;" and " then cometh the end ;" " the Son 
himself shall deliver up this kingdom, and 
God be all in all." 

We have thus alluded to the parties in this 
covenant, and, in conformity with the alle- 
gorical description of our text, to the trans- 
action itself, so far as relates to the first vis- 
ible dispensation of it in the rescue of fallen 
man. We may soberly assure ourselves, 
moreover, that there is reality in all this rep- 
resentation. There urns an interposition for 
fallen man very near the time of his rebel- 
lion. In allusion to this, the interposing per- 
son is called a mediator, a clay's man, and an 
advocate with the Father ; and in virtue of 



LECTURE VIII. 



159 



this, the first evangelical promise was given, 
and sacrifices instituted for a still more in- 
structive memento. The declarative part of 
this covenant, in the latter clause of our text^ 
we have contemplated. 

HI. Let us now look at SOME OF ITS CONSE- 
QUENCES. 

And we have, firsts this benefit, that the 
curse which had been pronounced upon fal- 
len man, was, in consequence of this inter- 
position, suspended from execution. 

If we have any due conception of the 
offensive nature of sin ; if we consider, for a 
moment, how it must have appeared to God 
in this beginning of its dreadful career — or if 
we look only at the solemn pledge which 
had been given, that in the day of his rebel- 
lion, man should surely die, we shall be convin- 
ced that the world could have been spared, 
after the fall, onlyin virtue of some meritorious 
interposition. It lay at that dreadful moment 
fully obnoxious to the curse, and nothing else 
could have saved it. Every token of favour and 
indulgence must have been instantly with- 
drawn, and all vestiges of former goodliness 
in the works of God's hands must have 
vanished. The world is then left an unmiti- 
gated scene of all that is vile, and hateful, and 
wretched, and man instantly begins his ever- 



160 LECTURE Vlli, 



lasting burning in a hell which his own hands 
have made. From this^dreadful consequence 
of the fall, the interposition of Christ has sa- 
ved us. It does not, of itself, bring us back to 
holiness ; but it saves us from an immediate 
hell, and retains us in a state where a change 
of character is possible. It presents that ex- 
tent of misery, also, in a fallen world, which 
otherwise would have proved too severe 
for the continuance of our race : it retains 
many inviting tokens of God's mercy in the 
works of his hands : it provides a broader 
and a smoother path for those, who shall 
lie- wise enough to travel the backward road 
from banishment : it even permits others, 
for the sake of the saints' connexion with 
them, to experience deliverance from many 
evils, and to enjoy many providential mer- 
cies, w hich had never been possible, but for 
this interposition. 

Behold this fallen world, then, and espe- 
cially man, in this fallen world, as reprieved 
and spared for a season by this mediation of 
the Redeemer. The cloud which hangs over 
him is indeed dark : it is a cloud of wrath 
still, and full of dreadful lightnings ; but it 
does not yet pour out itself ; and while it is 
suspended, it is that an offer of mercy may 
be made in the solemn pause. 

2. The second great benefit procured by 



LECTURE VIII. 



161 



the interposition of Christ, is that the of- 
fer of mercy was, in consequence, made us. God 
couid now consistently make this offer. A 
pledge of obedience had been given, for the 
honour of his law, by one who never lied : 
a covenant had been made, which secured 
the obedience of the creature also : Holi- 
ness, as well as justification, would follow', if 
fallen man should embrace the covenant; 
There w r as no danger that heaven would be 
polluted by the entrance of a sinner saved 
" through sanctification of the Spirit and be-, 
lief of the truth :" there was no fear of ,a jar 
in the harmony of God's attributes, " when 
mercy and truth should meet together:" no ap- 
prehension of a diminished revenue to God's 
glory, in a transaction which should forever 
redound to " the exceeding riches of his 
grace." 

Every thing was safe in the plan devised : 
God could now consistently make an offer of 
mercy to his fallen creatures j and he delight- 
ed to make it. " Deliver him, said he, from go* 
ing down to the pit ; I have found a ransom" 
Let my fallen creatures have the offer of sal- 
vation. Let pardon, and justification, and 
holiness, and heaven regained be his, on the 
condition of his accepting the surety. I offer 
it, said Jehovah — and mercy, and truth, and 

14* 



462 



LECTURE VIIL 



spotless holiness, and even rigid justice, re- 
joiced in the proposal. 

This, dear hearers, is the same offer which 
God's ministers are now commissioned to 
make to you. It began to be proclaimed by 
the Saviour, on that very spot where Adam 
fell, and which might without it, have been 
warmed with his blood. It was then deliver- 
ed to others, and handed down to Enoch and 
Noah, and Melchizedeck, and Moses, and a 
succession of preachers of righteousness, 
through all the dark and criminal ages of Is- 
rael's history, to the coming of the Messiah. 
Then there arose a John, preaching repen- 
tance and remission of sins, through faith in 
the coming Messiah. Then came the Mes- 
siah himself, and sent out his seventy with 
the same commission : and when he was a- 
bout to ascend on high — having finished the 
engagements of this high covenant, he em- 
bodied in one form the great warrant and 
command, under which all his ministers 
should go forth, and under which they have 
ever since been going forth, preaching peace 
and repentance through Jestis Christ, for he 
is Lord of all. Oh, how they feel them- 
selves honoured by this high association! 
how grand the thought ! how imposing the 
message they bear! These ministers are 



lecture vnr. 



183 



now proclaiming the same offer of mercy to 
fallen man, which at first began to be pro- 
claimed by God himself, and which patri- 
archs, and prophets, and apostles, have been 
in every age proclaiming : " Deliver him from 
going down to the pit ; I have found a ran- 
som" 

Finally, we have spiritual life and an actual re- 
storation of happiness through this covenant. 
The interposition of Christ did not, as we 
have observed, confer holiness of itself; still 
there was no uncertainty about it. Christ 
gave himself in the covenant, with a specific 
object. The condition of the Father to him 
was, that "a seed should serve him :" that "he 
should see of the travail of his soul and be satis- 
fied" This seed, thus given to him, were 
made so soon as to be called his people — his 
sheep — his chosen ones, long before they came 
into existence ; and it was promised that all, 
who were thus "given to him, should come unto 
him and " they that came unto him, should in no 
wise be cast out" To secure the fulfilment of 
this, the Holy Spirit was promised, and it was 
said, " thy people shall be willing, or converted, 
in the day of thy power " The conversion of 
Christ's seed, though not effected by the 
mere interposition of Christ, is therefore not 



16 i 



LECTURE VIII. 



uncertain. It is secured by the covenant 
and the means provided for its fulfilment. 

Let us now suppose all this to have been 
fulfilled in the sinner, and see what a glori- 
ous result it presents. His lost happiness is 
restored. To use the similitude of our text 
again, his dreadful disease is rebuked : " his 
flesh shall be fresher than a child's ; he shall 
return to the days of his youth ; he shall pray 
to God, and he will be favourable to him; 
he shall see his face with joy, for he will ren- 
der unto man his righteousness." 

Do you not see in all this, my brethren, a 
beautiful and striking similitude for descri- 
bing spiritual restoration ? Rather let me 
ask, do you not discover in it an exhibition 
of those happy frames which yourselves 
have sometimes experienced, and especially, 
when bursting your way into the discovery 
of pardon and favour, after the dark day of 
your spiritual conflict ? There you had long 
lain, like the sinking victim of sickness, was- 
ting away and despairing under the visible 
progress of your disease ; A the soirows of death 
compassed you about, and the pains of hdl gat 
hold of you but this disease was sud- 
denly and unexpectedly removed: you heard 
your heavenly physician rebuke it : jou felt 
the life-giving impulse instantly enter your 



LECTURE VIII. 



165. 



bones; the returning fulness of spiritual 
health began to be manifest ; your tongue 
broke forth in praises to God, and the con- 
viction that he heard you renewed your 
thanksgivings. Seven times a day you went 
before him, and seven times his countenance 
broke forth with brighter and lovelier radi- 
ance upon you. You called him your Father 
and your God, with an unvarying tongue : you 
saw, v T ith renewed wonder and admiration, 
that it w r as his own method of righteousness by 
which you was delivered ; and you desired 
all. who feared the Lord, to come unto you, 
that you " might tell them what he had done for 
your soul" 

Is it wonderful then, (permit me to ask in 
review of our subject,) is it wonderful that the 
new born sinner should rejoice in the goodness of 
God? Let it be supposed that he has no ve- 
ry systematic acquaintance with those glori- 
ous truths now disclosed in the covenant of 
grace: he has only the sensations of the mor- 
al sickness it discloses, and he has seen and 
felt enough to perceive his deliverance : Is it 
'wonderful that he is joyful ? 

The sensation of returning health, after 
sickness, is, I think, one of the highest 
and most thrilling enjoyments of life. Who 
that has felt it, will not agree with me that it 



166 



LECTURE VUL 



is indescribable ? When creeping back from 
the grave's mouth, and beginning to regain a 
little strength, you are first permitted to ride 
abroad ; to breathe the invigorating air; to 
feel yourself at large ; to stretch the expatia- 
ting eye once more over green fields and a 
blue heaven, through which you feel as if 
your swelling soul would leap in praise of 
your great Deliverer. These are the felt, but 
unutterable similitudes by which the deliv- 
erance of a soul from death is illustrated ; 
and who now, that considers the greater mag- 
nitude, the higher zest, and the more lasting 
duration of this last deliverance, will tell me 
that it calls for no warmth of praises ! 

Be it so, to those, who can satisfy them- 
selves with indifference — Be it so ! Let them 
enjoy all the comfort, and all the imagined 
consistency of heartless acknowledgments 
and formal concessions ; of obligations un- 
felt, and scarcely expressed, through fear of 
being enthusiastic. Let a man talk of his 
new creation, with a cold hope that it is so ; 
let him assent to the fact, that if so, he is 
saved from hell and made an heir of heav- 
en, with an hesitating yes, which almost a- 
mounts to a negative : let those who have 
been redeemed by the blood of Christ from 
the sickness which was unto the second 



LECTURE VIII. 



167 



death, and sent abroad with new born flesh 
and soul, to drink in the boundless heaven 
of God's free smiles ; let them talk of the 
change with cold indifference, if they can, 
and shun the dreadful sin of enthusiasm, as 
they would a blasphemy — they are welcome* 
If grateful praise for such a deliverance be 
this sin, I mourn for my own part, that I have 
not more of it : and though 1 w r ould proba- 
bly as much discountenance disorderly wor- 
ship as any one, I should not wonder if re- 
deemed sinners felt w r armer hearts and ut- 
tered louder praises than they do. Why 
do not they outnoise the tempests of this 
busy world with such a theme ? Why do 
we not feel all the musical combinations, of 
which animated nature is capable, put in re- 
quisition for one grand concert to this im- 
mortal chorus ? Why do we not sometimes 
hear the praises of this upper world, bursting 
the intervening expanse, and moving upon 
the atmosphere of our dull world, like the 
angels' anthem on the plains of Bethlehem ? 

* When Jordan hush'd his wave, and midnight still 
" Slept on the holy towers of Zion's hill." 

The theme is worthy, and the words will 
be the same, though the musick will be chan- 
ged, when sung to the harps of heaven-*- 

i 



168 



LECTURE VllL 



*? Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace, good will to man" — "Deliver him 
from going down to the pit : I have found a 
ransom.'' 

So much for this high subject, to those who 
can enter into some of its feelings from expe- 
rience. And what if there be those, who 
cannot thus enter into it from experience ? 
What if there be those, who have never felt 
an exulting heart for the provisions of re- 
demption ? who could take no note in this 
high song ? who would have heard, unmoved, 
the message of angels at Bethlehem ? — 
There may be such, but what then ? shall 
w T e therefore forbear to repeat the heavenly 
message to them ? No : this will not do ; we 
have a dispensation committed unto us, and 
discbarge it w r e must, whether men will 
hear or whether they will forbear. It is a 
high and an honoured dispensation, sinner : 
We proclaim to you to-day, no novel or 
unsanctioned message. It is the same 
which has heen preached by martyrs, and 
apostles, and prophets, in a thousand tongues : 
it is the message of paradise, and fell from 
the compassionate bosom of God himself, up- 
on the interposition of a Saviour. " Save 
him," &c. 



LECTURE V ill. 



169 



We say to all such hearers to-day, then, 
that you are lying upon a bed of sore and 
doleful sickness : the anger of an offended 
God has kindled a burning fever in your 
bones : you are " chastened with strong 
pains upon your bed : " " Your " flesh is con- 
suming away," and there is no human medi- 
cine which can reach your case and bring 
you deliverance. You are under a fatal mor- 
al disease, sinner, and die you certainly must : 
downward you hasten to the pit, which is al- 
ready open— you are even now dying, and the 
next moment you will be gone ! 

Now, I ask, is this a moment to trifle ? will 
a dying man indulge in gaiety and mirth ? will 
he laugh or talk of worldly business, when 
his friends tell him, 6 you are even now grow- 
ing cold ?' 

This is really your condition, sinner : God 
says you are drawing near to the pit. Do 
not trifle about it : 'tis a serious thing to die ; 
'tis a dreadful thing to drop right down from 
a death bed into hell ! 

Oh ! this is the condition, probably, of a 
large part of my congregation : They are 
dying ; they are going to the pit ! But hark I 
a voice of strange and delightful import is 
heard ! Look upward, dying sinner : see that 
mighty God-man, standing between heaven 

15 



170 



LECTURE VIII. 



and earth, and filling all the intervening 
space ! Observe how his bleeding hands are 
raised in supplication for you ! and now, he 
bends a look of infinite tenderness over your 
bed of woe; and now the voice from the 
eternal presence is heard, " Deliver him from 
going down to the pit ; I have found a ran- 
som" Amen. 



LECTURE XX* 

REGENERATION, 



JOHN L 13. 

Which were horn, not of blood, nor of the will of thp 
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

It is hardly necessary to say that the 
term regenerated, and others equivalent to i|> 
are often applied to christians in scripture. 
It is believed that these are designations of 
christian character, more frequently used in 
the New Testament than any other : so that, 
on this consideration, as well as many others, 
it becomes a matter of the first importance 
to attach correct ideas to the term. 

I am not, however, about to attempt a deep 
investigation of this subject. There are many 
excellent works on regeneration, to which 
my young friends have access ; and my ob- 
ject at present, is simply to furnish those scrip- 
tures, which speak of regeneration, and then* 



172 



LECTURE IX. 



from a careful vitw of the whole, to infer what 
we are to understand of the doctrine. 

And here it may be necessary to premise^ 
that this term has several variations in scrip- 
ture, without altering its essential meaning. 
These variations have sometimes been produ- 
ced by a different translation of the same ori- 
ginal word ; as what in one place is called 
being born again, is expressed in another by 
regeneration—the words in the Greek being 
the same. Sometimes this idea of a new 
birth is expressed by giving us its origin, in 
contrast with the origin of another birth — 
as in that passage of John — that which is 
born of the flesh is flesh, and that which i& 
born of the Spirit is spirit : v and sometimes 
by simply styling it a new work, in opposition 
to an older one ; " if any man be in Christ 
Jesus, he is a new creature ; old things are 
passed away." 

There are several other variations ; but 
these are sufficient to show that the same 
thing is meant in different modes of expres- 
sion. Where w r e quote passages, therefore, 
which speak of regeneration — being born again 
— born of God and the Spirit — begotten of God, 
and begotten again — a new creature, and created 
anew in Christ Jesus— -we wish you to con- 



LECTURE IX. 



173 



sider them all as relating to the same sub- 
ject. 

We shall now attend to the passages, and 
let them speak for themselves. And we be- 
gin with Johniii. 3—6, 7. " Jesus answ€red 
and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto 
thee, except a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God/' " That which is 
born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is 
born of the Spirit is spirit." " Marvel not 
that I said unto thee, ve must be born 
again/' (1 Peter i. 23.) Being born again, 
not of 'corruptible seed, but of incorruptible^ 
by the word of God, which liveth and abi« 
deth forever." Wherefore, (ii. eh. 2d verse) 
As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk 
of the word, that ye may grow thereby.-' 
(1 John v. 1.) " Whosoever believeth that 
Jesus is the Christ, is born of God" — and ii 
29, Every one that doeth righteousness is 
born of him." 

(Titus iii. 5.) " Saved us by the washing of 
regeneration and renewing of the Holy 
Ghost," w : hich I understand of the distinction 
between the new birth andsanctification ; and 
again, (Matthew xix. 28.) " Ye, (says the 
Saviour,) which have followed me, in the re-* 
generation, when the Son of man shall sit in 
the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit up- 
15* 



171 



LECTURE IX. 



on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes 
of Israel." Here regeneration is probably 
used in a general sense, as referring to that 
renovation of all things, which is expected 
at the end of the world ; and in that event, 
the Saviour tells his disciples they shall sit 
with him in judgment ; but even on this 
construction, the passage is to our purpose, 
since this illustration is evidently taken from 
a case of individual regeneration. 

Let us proceed with our quotations. (1 
Pet. i. 3.) " Who hath begotten us again to 
a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ from the dead/' (1 James i. 18,) 
K Of his ow r n will begat he us w T ith the word 
of truth." And again, in 1 John v. i 5 w Eve- 
ry one that loveth him that begat, loveth him 
that is begotten of him." 

In Ephesians ii. 10, we are said to be " his 
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, un- 
to good w r orks." Again, 2 Cor. v. 17, " If 
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature," or, 
there is a new creation ; and finallv, in our 
text, those who had just been called the sons 
of God — those who have received him a?id believ- 
ed on his name, are said to be born, but ? not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of 
God." 



LECTURE IX. 



175 



Recurring now to the truth above stated, 
that all these representations refer to the 
same thing, let us carefully inquire what it is. 
What is the meaning of that regeneration so 
often spoken of in scripture ? We answer, 

1. That it cannot be intended of the privi- 
leges of belonging to the Jewish church. The 
Jews were indeed a peculiar people, and it 
was a privilege to belongto their community 
by lineal descent ; but this lineal descent 
cannot be intended here ; for, says our text, 
i4 they were born not of blood and it was 
told Nicodemus, w r ho was a Jew, that except 
he were born again he could not enter the 
kingdom of heaven. 

2. Nor can regeneration be meant by a 
visible membership in any church ; for it is rep- 
resented as something effected by the Spirit 
of Goc/, whereas a visible membership with 
God's people may be formed without such 
assistance. 

3. Water baptism cannot be intended by re- 
generation. Among many considerations to 
shew this, I shall adduce one, which has 
ever appeared to me conclusive. Saith John, 
" whosoever believeth that Jesus is the 
Christ, is born of God but multitudes have 
believed this before they were baptized ; nay, 
ir\ all cases of adult baptism, this belief is re- 



176 



LECTURE IX. 



quired as a prerequisite, as is evident from the 
words of Philip to the Eunuch. Many, on the 
other hand, have been baptized, who never 
did believe in this sense : but those who be- 
lieve, and those who are born of God, are 
represented as the same persons. Baptism^ 
therefore, cannot be the same as regenera- 
tion. 

4. Again ; this regeneration is not the same 
as sanctifi cation. I apprehend it is sometimes 
imagined to be so. Many will talk freely of 
the necessity of sanctification, i. e. of a grad- 
ual turning from sin unto holiness — who seem 
afraid to speak of regeneration as a radical 
and immediate change ; and I conclude their 
view must be, that' regeneration in scripture 
means the same thing as progressive ho- 
liness or sanctification. That they are not 
the same, however, and ought not to be thus 
confounded, is evident from two considera- 
tions. The first is, that some texts distin- 
guish between these graces. " Saved* (says 
Paul to Titus) by the washing of regenera- 
tion and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." 
Secondly, sanctification is represented as ne- 
cessary after regeneration : — u created in 
Christ Jesus unto good works, that we should 
walk in them but regeneration is never re- 
presented as necessary after sanctificatiom 



LECTURE IX, 



177 



There are other important distinctions, but 
this is sufficient to shew, that regeneration is 
not the same as a progressive turning to 
God. 

5. In guarding further this negative part of 
our subject, let us offer several views to prove 
that regeneration is not the same as natural mo- 
rality : and that natural morality cannot in 
any instance, be a substitute for it. Neither of 
these can be true, for 

First : The supposition destroys the general 
necessity of regeneration. Our Saviour certain- 
ly does teach, that " except a man be born 
again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heav- 
en/' But if mere natural morality were suffi- 
cient, or the same as regeneration, then mul- 
titudes, all infants certainly, who not hav- 
ing contracted the guilt of actual sin, might 
enter heaven without it. 

Secondly. It contradicts entirely the doctrine of 
total depravity. If man by nature, be unholy, 
what shall be produced by cultivation but 
more unholiness ? or, in the language of 
scripture, " who can bring a clean thing out 
of an unclean ? Not one/' (Job. xiv. 4.) 

Thirdly. The scriptures speak of this 
change as succeeding to, and in opposition to 
our first birth It is called a new birth, and be- 
ing born again, Can it then be the same as 
the first birth ? 



!7£ 



LECTURE IX. 



Fourthly. It is represented as being differ- 
ent in its nature, from the first birth. That 
which is born of the flesh, is flesh ; but that 
which is born of the Spirit, is spirit" 

Fifthly. It is ascribed to a different agency. 
The first birth is by natural generation; the 
second is called being born of God. 

Sixthly. If mere natural morality were re- 
generation, then the saying of our text would 
not be true, that it is " not of blood, nor of the 
will of the flesh." On that supposition, it is 
of blood and of the will of the flesh. Nor, 

Finally, would it be true that it was " not 
of the will of man Our text asserts, howev- 
er, that this change "is not of the will of 
man." 

Consider moreover, (for I confess myself 
zealous on this part of our subject) that if 
the ground of mere natural morality be taken, 
the following difficulties are to be surmount- 
ed, What necessity could there be, on such a 
supposition, for the gift of a Saviour ? Would 
he have made the sacrifices he did, if mere 
morality could have saved the sinner ? 

But admitting, what we do not believe, 
that his coming has, in some way, changed 
the nature of God's requirements— we have 
again to ask, if you do not, by the stand now 
taken, put yourself aside from that supposeable 



LECTURE IX. 



179 



benefit ? Christ is to be received by faith, and 
the scriptures represent those who believe in 
him as being the same with those who are 
born of God ; of course, not to be born of God, 
is the same as to be without faith, and then 
you are to be excluded from the benefits of 
Christ's death. 

And have we ever known such a scheme to bear 
the test of a fair experiment ? We have never, 
I think, seen the individual, who trusted in 
such a scheme, appearing to feel the love of 
Christ in life or death ; but we have, on the 
other hand, seen the scheme abandoned by 
many, who subsequently lived and died like 
the children of God : and we have seen even 
this boasted morality to fail and be practiced 
no longer, where the local circumstances and 
motives upon which it was bottomed, had, in 
the allotments of Providence, been differ- 
ent. 

From so many proofs and considerations, 
we are irresitibly led to the conclusion, that 
degeneration is not the same as natural morality ; 
and that natural morality cannot, in any instance, 
be a substitute for it. 

II. What then is regeneration ? If it be nei- 
ther lineal descent ; nor visible churchmem- 
bership ; nor water baptism ; nor progress- 
ive holiness ; nor yet mere natural morality ;> 



ISO 



LECTURE rx. 



what is it ? Our text and the other scriptures 
which have been quoted afford the following 
answer : // is radically a new state of the moral 
man. icrought by God. by the particular agency of 
the Holy Spirit j instantaneously produced, as to 
the principle of it ; and going forth in exercises 
of faith, repentance and new obedience* 

It is a new state of the moral man, because 
it succeeds to and is in opposition to his first 
state : it is radical, as being the beginning of 
a new principle, not the improvement of an 
old one : it is instantaneous, since there must 
be a beginning to every new thing, which did 
not before exist : it is assigned to the agency 
of God the Spirit, as being a part of his office- 
work : and it is said, in other scriptures, to 
be by the word of God, implying the instrumen- 
tality of a preached and read word : and a 
creation in Christ Jesus, to represent both the 
magnitude of the work and its meritorious 
cause. 

Regeneration, moreover, stands in opposi- 
tion to conversion ; as conversion, or turning 
to God, is an active work on the part of its 
subject, and regeneration is a passive one : 
it precedes sanctification ; being the com- 
mencement of that principle of holiness in 
the soul, w hich it is the work of sanctifica- 
tion to improve during life \ and it is a work 



LECTURE IX. 



181 



wrought, as to the agency and mode of it — 
" not by will of the flesh, nor of the will of 
man, but of God." 

Some difficulties, we know, might be stated 
on this part of our subject, and the question 
w ill be asked, perhaps, how the heart of a 
free moral being can be changed by a for- 
eign agency ? We choose to leave the decis- 
ion just in the w ords of our text, however ; 
and if any doubt the fact of God*s sovereign 
operation in this matter, w r e will ask them to 
look at it again, and see if a different con- 
struction is possible : 44 who are born, not of 
blood, nor of the w ill of the flesh, nor of the 
will of man, but of God.' 5 

There is another passage, which appears 
to me to hold the same language on this sub- 
ject. 44 Thy people shall be willing in the 
day of thy power (Psalm ex. 3 ;) and 
still another in the words of our Saviour him- 
self — 44 No man can come to me, (said he) 
except the Father which hath sent me draw 
him.'' (John. vi. 44.) 

1 do not know that I understand the mean- 
ing of these passages at all ; but if I do un- 
derstand them, they teach the fact, unques- 
tionably, of God's efficient and sovereign 
operation in the change of the human 
heart. 

16 



182 



LECTURE IX. 



With a few reflections, growing out of 
this subject, we shall now close. And 

First What a great change must that be, of 
which we have been speaking ! It is called, you 
observe, a new birth — a new creation — being 
begotten of God and of the Holy Spirit. Man- 
kind are represented as naturally without 
this requisite of moral character, and una- 
ble to produce it of themselves. When it is 
begun, it is the beginning of another nature : 
and this nature, when it is in any good de- 
gree matured, exhibits new principles, new 
feelings — an entirely new moral existence. 
Certainly this must be a great work. Those 
who have considered it, as only an inciden- 
tal state of things in the christian course, 
have mistaken its character. It is a great 
change, w r hether existing under the conceal- 
ed exercises of an infant christian, or ma- 
tured into the ripe sanctification which 
sometimes just precedes death — it is a great 
thing to possess a new heart. If we have 
been regenerated, we ought to be great- 
ly thankful for it, and gaze upon the change 
with as much of admiration, as that with 
which the angels gazed upon the world, ri- 
sing out of nothing ! 

2. What importance is thus attached to the 
work of self examination ! A leading object 



LECTURE IX. 



183 



of religious examination is to determine this 
great question, if possible, whether we have 
experience of regeneration. But what a 
question is this ! It not only relates to a great 
subject, but it has the most stupendous con- 
sequences attached to it ; for, says the word 
of God, except a man do possess this 
change, he cannot enter the kingdom of heav- 
en. With what avidity, my hearers, should 
we examine a sealed sentence, sent us by a 
court of justice, w r hich had tried us for a cap- 
ital crime, when we knew, that in what we 
read would be the issues of life or death to 
us ! But if this whole world were at stake — 
if the examination we were about to make 
should determine whether it w r as to be burnt 
up to-morrow, it could not be a question of 
so much moment as that we attempt to set- 
tle when we set down to examine ourselves. 
How is it then with us, professing brethren ? 
do we find evidence that this great change 
has passed upon us ? or is the evidence 
against us ? It appears to me, we cannot be 
contented to be even uncertain on such a 
subject : and it must be either because we are 
strangely stupid, or hope for better evidence 
hereafter, that we can be willing to rest in 
uncertainty with so much indifference. And 
Bow, 



184 



LECTURE IX. 



3. The subject affords plain and excellent rides 
for assisting in this work of examination. It 
tells us, if we are born again, we have new 
feelings and new principles : there is an opposi- 
tion between these and old principles, crea- 
ting a warfare : w T e love the ways of God, 
which we before disrelished : we are growing 
in the divine life, as the new born infant grows 
in the natural life : the begotten will always 
bear a resemblance to him who begat ; and 
we are, in one word, like God, in all the moral 
properties of our nature. If we have these 
properties and exercises, therefore, it is an 
evidence that we are regenerated. And 

4. Permit me to suggest one reflection, as 
arising out of this subject, for the encourage- 
ment of weak believers. True it is, that the 

# work of regeneration is a great work, and a 
final decision of the question upon it decides 
our eternal destiny. But why does the 
question of regeneration decide it ? not be- 
cause regeneration is the meritorious ground 
of our salvation, but because this state is ne- 
cessary in order to salvation, and because such 
a state is an evidence of faith. Thus, in our 
text and context, faith and regeneration are 
affirmed of the same persons. The ultimate 
question, then> is, have you faith in the Lord 
Jesus Christ ? And here it may be you 



LECTURE IX. 



185 



have, though you have but little comfortable 
sense of it, and little other evidence of pi- 
ety : it may be you dare trust your soul to 
your Saviour without reserve, and feel a 
strong persuasion towards his mercy, be- 
cause you know him to be gracious and 
yourself a miserable sinner, though you 
have but little evidence as to other christian 
exercises, and generally fear that you are a 
stranger to regeneration. 

We certainly think, then, you ought to be 
encouraged ; your faith may be real, though 
very weak : and real faith is certainly con- 
nected with regeneration. How is it in the 
first birth ? The infant that only breathes, 
has. as really, the principles of life as the full 
grown man ; but he needs more nursing, and 
so it is with the weak believer. How un- 
reasonable then, if you are so weak, to re- 
fuse to be strengthened ? What a great mis- 
take to lie still and wait for more strength in 
the neglect of means, when those means are 
the very food you need to give the strength 
in question ! 

Finally : what a solemn and pressing necessi- 
ty urges those who have not been made par- 
takers of regeneration ! Suppose it were 
now announced from heaven, my friends, 
that not one of you should ever see a mo* 

16* 



186 



LECTURE IX. 



merit's cessation from pain, nor go from this 
house with life, except you should, within 
a given time, procure a pass from some au- 
thorized individual — suppose this, and yet 
that many of you should not stir, but calmly 
suffer the time to pass and remain as you 
are ; what would be the conclusion as to 
your state of intellect or your feelings ! We 
have reason to think, however, that such is the 
case of many, in relation to the great con- 
cern of regeneration : It has been announ- 
ced to be indispensably necessary to procure 
it in life, or to perish forever ! Worlds are 
suspended on this condition, and yet multi- 
tudes do not stir, nor seem anxious. What 
can be the reason ? Do you not yet believe it 
necessary ? or is it mere stupidity ? Either 
conclusion is dreadful. That must be a fear- 
ful depth of depravity which can induce se- 
curity under the admission of these truths — 
and as to calling- them in question — oh I 
friends, it must not be done. We beg you to 
think again of the proofs ; we beg of you to 
look around and sum up all the observations 
you have ever .made on this subject, and say, 
if you can doubt, that there is a reality in re- 
generation and a necessity for it ! Has not God 
Said it is necessary ? Has not every soul yet. 



LECTURE IX. 



187 



found it so ? Is it not then necessary for 
you ? 

Then why this awful neglect in irreligion ? 
Why this strange indifference in danger ? Do 
not tell us you can do nothing for your new 
birth, and therefore you are excusable — that 
even to-day it has been declared, it must be 
of God. If it be so, that does not remove 
yowr danger : If it be so, your guilt remains ; 
and equally strange is it still, that you should 
be unconcerned. But as the present is not 
the place for entering into this subject, do let 
us be careful not to loose sight of the main 
point : you must be born again, sinner, and 
dreadful is your danger — awful and imminent 
is your cause of alarm, if you be not ! 

Look back and reflect ! have you not reg- 
ally reason to fear that some, whom you once 
knew, have gone, or are now rapidly going 
down to hell, in consequence of neglecting 
jttst such truths as these ? They heard — they 
admitted perhaps ; but they did not feel, and 
now they are gone far from righteousness, or 
already beyond the reach of mercy ; and 
shall it be so with you ? Can you bear to 
look forward a few more fleeting days, and 
see yourselves in the same condition ?— dy- 
ing without hope, or standing before God's 



J 88 LECTURE IX. 

bar, and not one poor excuse to offer thai 
you did not attain to religion ! Oh ! my 
friends, these are awful subjects : and may 
the Lord enable you to feel them ! Amen. 



r 



LECTURE X. 



FAITH AND REPENTANCE. 
ACTS xx. 21. 

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, 
repentance towards God, and faith towards our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

It would be wrong, in a course of Theolo- 
gical Lectures, to pass over the great sub- 
jects of faith and repentance. It might be 
imagined perhaps, that themes on which we 
so frequently dwell, scarce needed a formal 
discussion. But you mav recollect, mv young 
friends, that John wrote to his disciples, not 
" because they knew not the truth : but be- 
cause they knew it.'' (1 John, ii. 21.) And 
it will be well to consider too, that the rea- 
son why these traths are so often brought be- 
fore you, is their immeasurable importance 
in the christian system* 

It would be well then, not onlv to be famil- 
iar with the terms faith and repentance, but 
to understand their import, and to be able to 



190 



LECTURE X. 



give suitable proofs and illustrations of these 
doctrines ; and we may be very certain that 
whatever prominence is given to these sub- 
jects in our preaching, we have not yet gone 
beyond the apostles in this matter, who "tes- 
tified both to the Jews, and also to the 
Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith 
towards our Lord Jesus Christ." 

What then is faith ; and w hat is repen- 
tance ? and how are these graces related to 
each other in christian experience ? 

But before directly answering these que- 
ries, we have a preliminary remark to make 
on another example here set us by the apos- 
tle. It is, that in discussing this subject, he 
mentions faith and repentance together. It is 
probable the apostle had never heard the 
question discussed, whether faith or repen- 
tance be first in the order of gracious exer- 
cises. He was less in the habit of making 
nice and unprofitable distinctions than some 
modern Theologians : He knew moreover, 
that where one of these christian graces is 
possessed the other is possessed ; — that they 
do in reality spring up simultaneously in the 
new born soul, and therefore, here and else- 
where, they are mentioned together. Still 
we are free to admit, that, in the order of na- 
ture, there is a precedence between faith and 



LECTURE X. 



191 



repentance, and that this precedence be- 
longs to the former ; since, strictly speaking, 
there can be no true repentance but that 
which springs from a believing view of God's 
mercy. In this view they are perfectly rela- 
ted to each other; but in the order of time 
there is no distinction. Let us now proceed 
with our queries : 
L And first, of faith. 

And here we answer, that faith, in general, 
is & persuasion in favour of truth. The root of 
the original word in the New Testament sig- 
nifies to persuade, and may be applied to a 
strong persuasion of the mind in favour of 
any truth, whether divine or human. Of 
course there are several kinds of faith, taking 
their meaning from the nature of the sub- 
jects to which they relate : such as a religious 
faiths in distinction from human faith : an his- 
torical faith, or the assent of the mind to histor- 
ical testimony, which does not necessarily af- 
fect the heart : a temporary faith, which has 
respect only to the present advantages of an 
assent to christian doctrine— and a faith of 
miracles, which has not necessarily any ref- 
erence to the love of God in the heart, but 
consists in -that strong persuasion of power 
to work miracles by the gift of God, which 
obtained in a former period of the church. 



192 



LECTU R E 



Evangelical, or saving faith, imports more 
than any of these ; and as it is evident that 
this is the kind of faith intended in our text, 
and principally insisted on in scripture, our 
remaining explanations will be confined to it. 
It consists principally in two things. 

1 . In a full and intelligent assent of the un- 
derstanding to the truths of God's word. So 
far, indeed, this is an exercise common to 
some other kinds of faith ; but it relates 
more particularly now, to what is revealed of 
the Lord Jesus Christ ; and therefore is con- 
cerned, at least, with the subject of salvation : 
of all which relates to the person, charac- 
ter, mission, and work of the Lord Jesus, it 
secures a firm conviction that it is true and 
important. This is indispensable to saving 
faith. " If ye believe not that 1 am He, (said 
the Saviour to the Jews) ye shall die in your 
sins." (John viii. 24.) And yet it is not of 
itself, necessarily connected with saving faith. 
"The devils also believe and tremble;" 
(James ii. 1 9 ;) and from this alone, it is evi- 
dent that something more is necessary than 
the strongest assent of the understanding. 

2. The second thing implied in saving 
faith, then, is a full and hearty compliance of the 
will and affections. It is that exercise of the 
moral man, w herein, after a clear apprehen- 



LECTURE X. 



193 



sion of the truths, relating to Christ, and our 
need of such a Saviour, on account of sin, 
guilt, condemnation, and iinpotency before 
God, the opposed and stubborn heart comes 
at length, through the assistance of Divine 
grace, to yield to this Saviour, and receive 
him with all its affections. 

The author of saving faith, then, is God, 
M By grace are ye saved through faith ; and 
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.^ 
(Eph. ii. 8.) 

The efficient agent (calling him by such a 
name to convey our meaning,) is the Holy 
Spirit : " we having the same spirit of faith." 
(2 Cor. iv. 13.) The usual means of produ- 
cing faith is the word of God, who " of his 
own will begat us with the word of truth*" 
(James i. 18.) 

Its effects and evidences are a subdued will 
and changed views and affections, as in de- 
sire, love, hope and repentance. " The fruit 
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffer- 
ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, 
temperance 2 against such there is no law. f * 
(Gal v. 22,23.) 

And the final result is salvation. We do 

not enter into the discussion of this point at 

all, but feel compelled to the conclusion^ 

from simple scripture testimony, that the re* 

17 



191 



LECTURE X. 



suit of all true faith will be salvation to the 
subject. " He that believeth shall be sa- 
ved.'* (Mark xvi, 16.) U I am the door : by 
me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, 
and shall go in and out, and find pasture."* 
(John x. 9.) The conclusion, then, is this, 
that evangelical or saving faith, consists in a 
full assent of the understanding to religious 
truth, and a compliance of the will and af- 
fections, as wrought by God, the Holy Ghost, 
and going forth in fruits of the Spirit unto sal- 
vation. This Paul testified both to Greeks 
and Jews, as altogether indispensable. It is 
indispensable now, my hearers : it is both the 
condition of salvation and the command of 
its author, that we have faith. " Believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shait be 
saved." (Acts xvi. 31.) And thus much of 
tt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.'' Let us 
now attend to that which is inseparably con- 
nected with it. 

II. Of repentance. " Testifying repen- 
tance towards God." 

And here it will be necessary to premise, 
as we did of faith, that there are several 
kinds of repentance. There is a temporary 
and spurious repentance : as when a man 
orders his conduct for a season, as if he felt 
the influence of penitential motives ; but 



LECTURE X. 



195 



lacking thera in reality, relapses into confirm- 
ed iniquity. Thus Ahab humbled himself 
and " walked softly" for a season, but soon 
evinced, by his after life, that he knew noth- 
ing of true repentance. 

A national repentance is also spoken of in 
scripture ; as when God says to Israel by 
the mouth of the prophet, " Repent, and 
turn yourselves from all your transgressions ; 
so iniquity shall not be your ruin." (Ezek* 
xviii, 30.) Here, however, a general out- 
ward reformation of morals is intended, 
and as this might be with or without holy 
motives, there is nothing in the passage 
which designates evangelical repentance. 

Again : in individual cases, there is often 
an exercise of mind called repentance, which, 
though it may accompany a saving change, 
does not necessarily imply it. This is legal 
repentance, and consists in that sorrow of 
soul, which arises from remorse, fear or 
shame, in the remembrance of our sins. All 
these may certainly exist where there is no 
true piety ; and it is said, therefore, that Ju- 
das repented, and went and hanged himself* 
(Math, xxvii. 5.) But the repentance which 
the scriptures principally insist upon, and 
that alone which affords an evidence of re- 
newed affections, is called evangelical re- 



196 



LECTURE X. 



pentance. It is a true and sincere sorrow for 
sin arising from a view of its intrinsic vile- 
ness, and especially as considering its oppo- 
sition to a holy and forgiving God, 

This is that repentance which the Saviour 
insisted on when he said, " except ye re- 
pent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 
xiii. 3 — 5.) It is that which all preachers of the 
gospel are every where and continually to 
urge as a duty. The disciples 44 went out, 
and preached that men should repent." 
(Mark vi. 12.) Paul and all the apostles 
44 commanded all men, every where to re- 
pent." (Actsxvii. 30.) A doctrine so much 
insisted upon in scripture — a duty represen- 
ted as altogether indispensable, it must be 
extremely important for us to understand 
with clearness. 

Let us attempt to aid you in this attain- 
ment, by the following considerations : And 
here we remark, 

1. That the subjects of evangelical repentance 
are only sinners. A holy being has no need of 
repentance, and cannot repent, in as much as 
repentance implies a recollection of con- 
scious sin. This truth is self-evident, and 
would not now have been stated, had it not 
been for the purpose of showing a disposi- 
tion of mind necessary in order to repeo.- 



LECTURE X. 197 

tance. We must be conscious that we are 
sinners : and remember, hearers, the higher 
you are in your own estimation, the farther 
you are from the requisites to repentance. 

2. The author of repentance is God — God the 
Saviour. " Him hath God exalted, (says Pe- 
ter) to give repentance and forgiveness of 
sins." (Acts v. 31.) He alone has power to 
effect this grace ; and he, as Mediator, has 
been raised to the right hand of Almighty 
God, for this object. 

3. The efficient agent, in this grace, too, is the 
IJolij Spirit. " I will pour upon the house of 
David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
the spirit of grace, and of supplications 
saithGod; and then it is added, " they shall 
look upon me whom they have pierced, and 
they shall mourn for him." (Zech, xiL 10.) 

Thus you observe, that true repentance is 
a sorrow for sins, on account of what they 
have done before God : they have made ne- 
cessary the slaying his only beloved Son : 
this is an awful reason why we should re- 
pent of sin ; and the repenting of sin is so 
indispensable* as well as so great a work, that 
you have seen all the persons of the sacred 
Trinity concur in its production. 

We may remark further, of repentance, 
that its instrumental cause is usually God's 

17* 



198 



LECTURE X. 



preached word. It was when Peter's hearers ha<3 
heard the word from his mouth, that " ihey 
were pricked in their heart, and cried, "men 
and brethren, what shall we do ?" (Acts ii. 
37.) And finally, the time for repentance is only 
the present life* 44 There is no work, nor de- 
vice^ nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the 
grave, whither thou goest." (Eccl. ix. 10.) 
46 To day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not 
your heart." (Ps. xcv. 7 r 8.) " But exhort 
one another daily, while it is called to-day ; lest 
any of you be hardened through the deceit- 
fulness of sin." (Heb. iii. 13.) 

It is evident, then, from this enumeration 
©f its properties, that evangenical repen- 
tance is a saving grace. It is an exercise which 
springs up only in the new heart. It is the 
same thing to urge a sinner to repent as it is 
to urge him to be regenerated ; and the word, 
accordingly, which is used for evangenical 
repentance, imports, as regeneration does, 
a new mind. It is the commencement of an 
important exercise in the new man, and it 
continues, as to its effects, through life. 

This is repentance ; and as both repent- 
ance and faith are connected in our text, let 
us see, for a moment, how these two graces 
&tand related to each other. And 



LECTURE X. 



First. Faith has certainly a direct bearing 
upon repentance. For instance, a man believes 
what God has said in relation to sin to be 
true ; and just in proportion as he does be- 
lieve it, he repents of sin. That Being is 
strictly just, and the belief of this awakens 
his examination of his own character ; He 
believes God " will not clear the guilty and 
now his fears for the consequences of si?) are 
dreadfully excited. Thus far, indeed, it is 
onl) legal repentance that he feels ; but 
even this may put him upon his exertions and 
lead him to see his perishing need of a Sav- 
iour ; and if now he be further led by the 
Spirit of God, to believe there is a Saviour — 
that he has died for the chief of sinners — 
that he is benevolent and infinite in pardo-n 
ing mercy — that he is willing even to receive 
him into his favour; when the Spirit leads 
the sinner thus far, he can no longer resist. 
He yields his opposition he accepts this Sa- 
viour and rejoices in him as altogether love- 

This is faith ; but will this be connected 
with repentance for sin ? Certainly ; the sin- 
ner just now begins to see what sin is. It 
appears " exceedingly sinful;" and he grieves 
and mourns for it — not now so much for fear 
or remorse, as because sin appears so unreal- 



200 



LECTURE X. 



sonable ; so opposite to God's holiness; so 
contrary to his goodness, and so cruel in the 
death of the atoning sacrifice. This is re- 
pentance, and thus it is that a believing v iew 
of God produces it. But 

Secondly. Repentance has a like impor- 
tant bearing upon faith. As the principle of 
the new man operates by renewed repent- 
ance through life — and as so many occasions 
occur for its special exercise on account of 
remaining sin, this grace, without its relation 
to faith, would often leave us in despair. But 
in proportion as a man sorrows for sin. he is 
prepared again for believing views of Christ. 
He discovers him again to be an altogether 
suitable Saviour: his emptied soul receives 
him anew with larger and still larger thanks- 
givings for his mercy. Thus faith and re- 
pentance are reciprocally related. They 
are what God has joined together ; and we 
hope you see, hearers, the fitness of the con- 
nexion. 

Need it be added, that thus admitted to 
operate, they will certainly produce the fruits 
of holiness. If a man believes, he will re- 
pent : if he repents, he will certainly turn 
from sin to his Saviour ; and thus it is that 
faith and repentance secure all the graces of 
sanctification. 



LECTURE X. 



201 



You need not wonder then at the promi- 
nency which the scriptures give to these two 
duties. You need not wonder that Paul so 
earnestly testified'' of them, and that they 
are so often urged in the sermons of modern 
preachers. They are the cardinal points of 
christian Theology : they are the origin of 
motion in the whole machinery of practical 
godliness. 

Let us now approach a close, and make 
some practical uses of this whole sub- 
ject. And 

t. In view of what has been said, we may 
understand, I think, in what sense it is that God 
is sometimes said to repent. It is said in scrip- 
ture that God repented in relation to his 
threatenings- against Nineveh, and on some 
other occasions. N*jvf, since God cannot 
change, it is difficult with some, to con- 
ceive what is here meant by such a repre- 
sentation. For explaining this, let it be rec- 
ollected, that, according to our explanation, 
there are, among others, two kinds of repen- 
tance—the one implying a change of mind, 
and the other an outward change of con- 
duct, without any particular reference to 
disposition, good or bad. It may be impor- 
tant to remark further, that the original word 
which expresses the former of these exerci- 



£02 



LECTURE X. 



ses, is uniformly different from that which is 
used for the latter. The words are metanoiq 
and metameleia. Now it is in this latter sense 
only, that the word repentance is applied to 
God. His mind never changes : there is with 
him no metanoia ; but he often changes his 
outward dispensations, or mode of dealing 
with a people, as he did with the people of 
Nineveh upon their repentance. There is a 
metameleia with God, an outward change of 
conduct, and this, in our language, is called 
this repentance. 

2. But more directly to the practical ob* 
jectof all this discussion, let me hope that 
you see clearly the indispensable necessity of repen- 
tance. There is occasion for repenting, be- 
cause sin is deserving of repentance : there 
is occasion, because repentance is comman- 
ded, and because it is dangerous not to re- 
pent 5 but especially is there occasion, be- 
cause repentance, as now explained, is the 
something as a new mind ; and because, with- 
out this new mind, no one can enter into the 
kingdom of heaven. 

Friends and fellow sinners, you mvst re- 
pent. Whatever difficulties you may sug- 
gest — whatever excuses you may offer—and 
with whatever of inconsistent apathy you 
may hear and admit these truths, the strong 



LECTURE X. 



203 



necessity of repentance is not removed. 
I testify" to you this day, (and I would to 
God, I could do it with as much fidelity as 
Paul) I testify to you, you must repent, or 
all perish. And 

3. Is there no particular view of this sub- 
ject, which may help you to repent ? What is true 
repentance ? We have explained it to be a 
sincere sorrow for sin, on account of its in- 
trinsic vileness, and particularly in the mel- 
ting aspect of its having crucified the Re- 
deemer. The real penitent sees sin in this 
light, and mourns. But the essential nature 
of sin is the same, hearers, whether you dis- 
cover its turpitude or not. Look at sin, then, 
as the murderer of the Son of God. Turn 
away, if you choose, from all other parts of 
its history : pass over all this foe of God and 
man had done for four thousand years of 
cruel domination, and fasten on one of its 
acts in the death of Christ. See it abasing, 
causing to suffer, agonize, and bleed, a spot- 
less, dignified, infinitely excellent and al- 
mighty victim ! Imagine you witness the 
scene — you hear his groans — you shudder 
at the thrust which pierced him — start hor- 
rour-struck from the spouting blood, and 
tremble in amaze at the unnatural accompa- 
niments of the Saviour's death ! Say then, in 



204 



LECTURE X. 



your meditation, I did this horrid deed ! 
My sins have pierced this bleeding victim ! 
and oh, sinner, sinner, will you not " mourn 
for him ?" will you not go away from the 
cross, smiting upon your breast, like the as- 
tonished centurion, and crying with weep- 
ing penitence, " God be merciful to me a 
sinner !" 

4. And finally : there may be some who do 
thus mourn for sin, already ; but who have 
not yet been conscious of resting on the 
Saviour of sinners, and of course have no 
true consolation. To such our subject af- 
fords encouragement, 

I believe there may be faith in existence, 
where the subject does not know it, because 
he has not yet attended to its reflex act 
upon himself I think I have known such 
cases, I have seen those who griev- 
ed for sin, but had yet no hope in a Re« 
deemer. It was not fear, it was not re- 
morse alone, that seemed to afflict that 
soul ; but it was because sin was against 
so good, so great and so holy a God. Oh 5 
it was that his sins had been so many—that 
they had even crucified the Lord of glo» 
ry ! Did I hear aright ? Is there indeed 
such a mourner ? Then has that soul sin- 
cere repentance : then has he faith ; then 



LECTURE X. 



205 



let him look up with comfort to the blest 
Redeemer. I testify to that soul, that his 
sins are forgiven. Where there is repen- 
tance there is faith ; and " he that belie?- 
eth shall be saved." Amen* 



18 



LECTURE XL 



JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION. 
ROMANS v. 10. 

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled 
to God by the death of his Son, much more, be- 
ing reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

1 have chosen this text as the foundation 
of a lecture on justification and sanctifica- 
tion, because it seems fairly to include both 
those subjects. Like | faith and repentance, 
these two doctrines stand so intimately rela- 
ted, that it was judged expedient to discuss 
them together. They are certainly connect- 
ed in many other passages of scripture, as 
well as that chosen for our text ; and if we 
can first present a fair exposition of what 
the apostle here teaches, the foundation will 
be then laid for inferring all the essential 
points respecting the doctrines in ques- 
tion. 



LECTURE XL 



For understanding the full import of the 
passage, we have only to look into its con* 
nexions, and especially those of the prece- 
ding chapter. The writer had there been 
discussing the nature of justification by 
faith ; and he comes now to speak of the pre- 
ciousness and extent of its privileges. — 
(" Therefore, says the being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God, through our 
Lord Jesus Christ." He afterwards de- 
scribes these privileges, as felt in every con- 
dition of life— extending to the whole elec- 
fatnily of Christ ; and, in our text, as insepara- 
bly connected with salvation. " For if, when 
we were enemies, we were reconciled to 
God, by the death of his Son, much more, 
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his 
life." 

The phrase reconciled to God, is here used 
to express what had before been meant by 
justification ; and the salvation spoken of in 
the close of the verse, does include, at least, 
the idea of sanctification. The object of 
the writer is then to affirm, that, in God's 
plan of mercy, sanctification does certainly 
follow from justification ; and he reasons for it, 
by glancing at the circumstances and agen- 
cy of each operation. If, while we were 
enemies, we were justified by the death of 



LECTURE XI. 



209 



Christ, much more, being justified, we shall be 
perfectly sanctified through his life. 

He reasons from greater to smaller things 
— from certain to more certain — and his 
representation may be considered as stand- 
ing thus : When you were dead in sins, you 
were justified and made alive by the mercy 
of God: shall then that life not be continued 
now, that it is once begun ? When you were 
enemies, you were made friends to God. 
Now being friends, shall he not much rather 
raise and consummate that friendship ? — 
Moreover, it was by Christ's death that this 
justification was procured : shall not his life 
in heaven, which is to be the moving cause 
of all blessings, secure your sanctification 
rather ? In one word, if a dying Saviour 
could justify and make men friends to God, 
while they were enemies, shall it not much 
rather be, that those who are friends, be 
sanctified and saved through the prevailing 
intercession of him, of whom it is testified that 
he liveth ? 

Having thus stated what we suppose to be 

Paul's meaning in the text, and seen that 

justification and sanctification are evidently 

the subjects of it, let us proceed to draw out 

the principal things, which enter into the 

doctrines, by way of inference. Not an in- 
IB* 



210 



LECTURE XL 



ference alone, however, shall we rely for 
these important truths. If they could all be 
shown to flow from our text, I should not ven- 
ture to state one inference on such a subject, 
which could not be corroborated by other 
passages of scripture. 
I. Let us begin with justification. And 

1. The subjects of justification. It appears 
that they are sinners. " If, while we were 
enemies, we were reconciled," (says our 
text :) For when we were yet without strength^ 
in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Verse 
6th.) And again, God commendeth his love to- 
ward us^ in that while we were yet sinners^ Christ 
died for us. (Verse 8th.) 

By this it is not meant, as some imagine, 
that God's children were justified from eter- 
nity ; for really and essentially, they were 
not : nor yet is it meant that men may be 
justified and continue ungodly ; but only that 
the justifying grace of God found them in 
such a state ; that it did not wait for them to 
become holy, and then justify for that holi- 
ness- sake ; but rather that it imputed to 
them the righteousness of Christ, as they were^ 
and by that act began to make them holy. 

2. The nature of justification. Strictly speak- 
ing, justification is the declaring of a sinner 
to be pardoned and accepted in the view of 



LECTURE XL 



21.1 



God's law, and might properly be referred 
to that distinguished transaction, wherein 
Almighty God will publickly welcome his 
children at the last day ; but the justification 
spoken of in our context seems rather to 
refer to that aspect of it presented by the ac- 
tual clearing the sinner from condemnation, 
by reckoning to him the righteousness of 
Christ. It is called imputation ; and we are 
told that Abraham and David, under a for- 
mer dispensation, were thus justified. (See 
chapter iv. verses 3d and 6th.) 

To be justified, in a religious sense, there- 
fore, is to have the righteousness of another 
reckoned to us, whenever and wherever it is 
done. It is called imputation, or reckoning us 
as righteous, when, strictly speaking, we are 
not righteous ; and this is done, when the 
poor sinner, owing ten thousand forfeitures 
\& the law, when he has nothing to pay, is 
nevertheless provided for, and cleared, and 
blessed with positive happiness, by setting, 
down to his account the merits of another. 

We shall understand this further, when 
we have seen, 

3. What is the ground of the sinner's justifica- 
tion. This is undoubtedly the righteousness 
of Christ. " We were reconciled to God by 
the death of his Son,'' (says our text :) and 



212 



LECTURE XI. 



again, God was in Christ, reconciling the 
world unto himself, not imputing their tres- 
passes unto them/ 4 (2 Cor, v. 19.) « He 
hath made him to be sin for us. who knew no 
sin, that we might be made the righteousness 
of God in him (21 st verse.) i; Being justifi- 
ed freely by his grace, through the redemp- 
tion that is in Jesus Christ:" (Rom. iii. 24 ;) 
• 4 who was delivered for our offences, and 
was raised again for our justification." — 
[Rom. iv. 25.) 

This is the true and only ground of our 
justification before God, The righteousness 
of Christ, including his whole work of obedi- 
ence and suffering, is imputed or reckoned 
to us, as our own ; and in virtue of this we 
stand cleared from the demands of the law, 
and acceptable in the sight of God. Let us 
now observe, 

4. In the fourth place, by what instrumental- 
ity this righteousness becomes ours. It is ap- 
prehended by faith. " He that believeth — 
shall be saved/" (Mark xvi. 16.) « And by 
him all that believe are justified from all 
things, from which ye could not be justified 
by the law of Moses*'' (Acts xiii. 39.) " But 
to him that worketh not, but believeth on 
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is 
counted for righteousness.' 5 (Rom. iv. 5.) 



LECTURE XL 



213 



Faith, or trust in Christ, with a cordial ap- 
prohation of his character, work and gov- 
ernment, is the act by which this righteous- 
ness is apprehended. We stand before 
condemned and miserable in his presence. 
Justification by another is seen to be neces- 
sary : the provisions in Christ are seen to 
offer this justification, and faith, as an in- 
strument, takes hold of it. 

5. It follows, fifthly, that the author of this 
justification is God : He is the author, in 
the strict sense, for he will declare our justi- 
fication at the last day : in the efficient sense, 
also ; for he gives that very faith by which 
the righteousness of Christ is apprehended. 
" For by grace are ye saved through faith ; 
and that not of yourselves : it is the gift ol 
God." (Eph. ii. 8.) 

How completely does this take out of our 
own hands, not only the meritorious, but the 
efficient cause of justification ! We need a 
righteousness which only could procure : we 
need faith as the only instrument which can 
apprehend it when provided ; and that faith 
itself must be given us — it is the gift of God ; 
certainly, and in the highest degree, it is God 
that justifieth. (Rom. viii. 33.) 

And finally, the immediate effect of justi- 
fication is, that there is a change in the sinner's 



214 



LECTURE XI. 



state before God. He is reconciled, as it is ex 
pressed in our text. He has received the 
atonement, as it stands in the verse following : 
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him- 
self ; not imputing their trespasses unto them : 
and this individual has now proved a per- 
sonal application of that great truth. From 
being under the curse, he is considered as 
cleared and innocent : from being an enemy, 
he is regarded as a friend of God : from dis- 
inclination and hatred to his service and 
character, he has commenced the active ex- 
ercises of duty and complacence towards 
that glorious Being. 

The effects, when continued, constitute 
sanctification ; and to the consideration of 
that part of our subject, we now proceed. 

II. Respecting sanctification. 

1. And here we infer first, something of 
its nature. Sanctification is the further car- 
rying on of that work of purifying the sinner, 
which is commenced in the moment of his 
essential justification ; of course it is subse- 
quent, in the order of nature, to that event. 
It is a living and operative principle kept 
alive by faith : it is the continuance and 
growth of that new nature which is begun at 
regeneration ; and as it is universal, and car- 
ried on through life unto perfection, it is 



LECTURE XL 



215 



called in our text, being saved : much more 
$hqtt we be saved through his life. 

2. The ground of this grace, then, secondly, 
is the living power and intercession of Christ. 
As we were justified by his death, is the rep- 
resentation of our text, so we shall be saved 
or sanctified by his life — (i. e.) by his exalta- 
tion and continual intercession with the Fath- 
er, on our behalf. " He ever liveth to make 
intercession for them." (Heb. vii. 25.) And 
as life is more efficient thai] death — as Christ's 
exaltation was a higher pledge of power than 
his de basement, this is the ground of the 
strong assurance in our text. Much more, 
being justified, we shall he saved by his life. 
The same ground of confidence is given by 
the Redeemer himself : " Because I live, ye 
shall live also." (John. xiv. 19.) His resur- 
rection was an infallible proof of his Son- 
ship with God ; and in that he is alive forev- 
er more— having proved his Almighty pow- 
er and fulfilled the condition on which his 
children were to be saved, they have both 
the pledge and the example for rising into 
newness of life. B ut 

3. The immediate and efficient author of sane- 
tif cation is the Holy Spirit. " But when the 
Comforter is come, whom I will send unto 
you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, 



216 



LECTURE XL 



which proceedeth from the Father, he shall 
testify of me." (Johnxv. 26.) " Because God 
(saith Paul) hath from the beginning chosen 
you to salvation, through sanctification of the 
Spirit, and belief of the truth." (2 Thess. ii. 
13.) 

Such is the order of operations among 
the persons of the sacred Trinity ; and in 
this order, the work of sanctification is as- 
signed to the Holy Spirit. His it is to en- 
lighten christians — renew their faith in Christ 
— help their prayers — comfort them in trou- 
ble — subdue their corruptions — strengthen 
them against temptation — and finally, pre- 
sent them spotless and unblameabh at the coming 
of the Lord. 

This work is commenced at the new birth, 
and only finished at the moment of death : it is 
universal, as to the habit and influence of it ; 
and as the word of inspiration is a principal 
instrument for effecting it in the hands of the 
Spirit, it is sometimes called the washing of 
water by the word, (See Eph. v. 26.) 

Finally : the result of this w r ork is salvation. 
u We shall be saved by his life." By this we 
understand that sanctification, in every in- 
stance, where it is really begun, shall one 
day be made perfect : that, after all his 
mistakes and delinquencies, through receiv- 



LECTURE XI. 



217 



ing faith and renewed repentance, every tru- 
ly justified person shall be helped against 
his enemies — and finally come off victorious. 
This certainly appears from several consid- 
erations. 

1. From the consideration that bothsanc- 
tification and justification have the same au- 
thor. It is God that justifieth : it is God, 
and not man, that conducts the work of sane- 
tification : it may therefore be certain. 

2. From the fact, that these two gifts are 
so often connected, as we have seen in the 
same promise of scripture. " Therefore, be- 
ing justified by faith, we have peace with 
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ ; and re- 
joice in hope of the glory of God — saved 
through sanctification of the Spirit and be- 
lief of the truth ; for if, when we were enemies 
we were reconciled to God by the death of 
his Son ; much more, being reconciled, we 
shall be saved by his life." These passages 
seem to take it for granted, that where one of 
these gifts exists, the other is abvays con- 
nected ; and they are so connected in the 
covenant mercy of God. " All that the 
Father giveth me, shall come to me ; and 
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast 
out." (John. vi. 37.) 



19 



213 



LECTURE XI. 



3. The certainty of this perfect sanctitiea- 
lion follows from the intercession of Christ. 
This is the ground so strongly confided to 
in our text — ice shall be saved by his life ; hut 
let us consider what Christ says in one place 
of his intercession. " I knew that thou hear- 
est rne always/' (John. xi. 42.) If then 
it can be shown that Christ does ask for the 
perfect sanctification of his children, it will 
indubitably follow, that it shall be attained. 
But we certainly have the example of such 
a prayer. " Father, (says the Saviour) i will 
that they also, whom thou hast given me, be 
with me where 1 am ; that they may behold 
my glory." (John. xvii. 24.) This is that 
will, by which the apostle says, ice arc sancti- 
fied ; (Heb. x. 10 :) and it makes the true be- 
liever's sanetification sure, as it is that the 
covenant of God and the power of our 
heavenly intercessor cannot fail. I will 
only add, 

4. A few of the numerous promises on this 
point, and close this part of our subject. 

" The righteous also shall hold on his 
way, and he that hath clean hands shall be 
stronger and stronger." (Job. xvii. 9.) " The 
steps of a good man are ordered by the 
Lord ; and he delighteth in his way. Though 
he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down ; lor 



LECTURE XI. 



219 



the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." 
(Ps. xxxvii. 23.) " Whoso eateth my flesh, 
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; 
and I will raise him up at the last day." 
(John. vi. 54.) " My Father, which gave 
them me, is greater than all ; and none is 
able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." 
(John. x. 29.) 

These promises are exceedingly strong and 
explicit; and now, as if God would even give 
securities for their fulfilment, we have, in 
Hebrews vi. 17, 18, the following remarkable 
passage : " Wherein God, willing more abun- 
dantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the 
immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by 
an oath ; that by two immutable things, in 
which it was impossible for God to lie, we 
might have a strong consolation, who have 
fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set 
before us." 

The two immutable things, by which God 
has been willing to fortify the confidence of 
his people, seem to be his counsel, and the 
oath by which he ratified that counsel : until, 
therefore, the counsel of God shall fail, and 
his oath be broken, the true believer shall 
not loose his inheritance. His sanctification 
is assured by all that his existence — by all 
that his justification is secured : the iminu- 



220 



LECTURE XI. 



table G od has promised it, and though the 
mountains be removed — the sun uncentered, 
and the world burned as an oven — they that 
trust in the Lord shall never be confounded. 

REFLECTIONS. 

J . What a glorious object is that which is aim- 
ed at in the work now considered ! The case 
presented is that of a condemned and un- 
holy being : the object is to clear him of his 
guilt and prepare him for heaven. The work 
of justification and sanctification provides 
for both. The creature is justified by reck- 
oning to him the righteousness of Christ ; 
his pollutions are washed away by the opera- 
tions of the Holy Spirit ; and we are then 
presented with the surprising spectacle of an 
unworthy, weak, and degraded sinner, made 
like to God in holiness — acknowledged as one 
of his children, and received as a fit inhab- 
itant of heaven I Surely this is an interes- 
ting and glorious object. And now, 

2. How secure and suitable is the ground upon 
which it rests I God, in order that the ruined 
happiness of the creature may be restored, 
has undertaken for it himself. He provides 
the Saviour ; and because he knows that the 
creature would never be interested in Him, 
by his own exertions, He applies the bene- 



LECTURE XL 



221 



fit by the same power, and then justifies on 
account of that application. This begins 
the good work in us, and then we are permit- 
ted to reason from such a comment as well 
as to rest on his positive promise, that he 
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. 
Every part is glorious to God — every 
part is safe and comfortable to the subject. 
Who would not prefer to have God save 
them in this way, (using, in the mean time, 
their own exertions, as means under his di- 
rections) rather than to take the work into 
their own hands, only to mar and defeat 
it ! But 

3. With what anxiety and correctness should 
we attempt that obedience, in ivhich sanctifi cation 
is carried on, and by which our christian charac- 
ter is to be tested ! Every plant (says our Sav- 
iour) that is in me, beareth fruit ; but every 
plant that is not of his Fathers planting, shall 
be plucked up. A double argument for obe- 
dience in professed christians, is thus affor- 
ded : those who are planted of God, will bear 
fruit ; and if any do not bear fruit, they are 
addressed with this motive of alarm : 
" They are not of God's planting." 

Most certainly, my brethren, if we would 
safely trust that we are Christ's, we must be 
Sure that we bear the fruits of holiness : if 

19* 



222 



LECTURE XL 



we would indulge the glorious hope, that we 
are one day to be made perfect in Christ 
Jesus, we must give evidence by a voluntary 
obedience, that he has already begun a good 
work in as, 

It is sometimes imagined that the doctrines 
we have been discussing lead to careless- 
ness and sin. Rightly understood and re- 
ceived, they certainly do not. Indeed, I can 
hardly conceive of stronger assurances, than 
are thus afforded in favour of universal 
obedience. It springs out of the very na- 
ture of the graces in question. It is fortifi- 
ed by every consideration of anxiety and 
fear. And 

Finally, to those \s ho are thus exhibiting 
the evidences of their real union to the Re- 
deemer, what unspeakable consolations are such 
doctrines calculated to administer I Remember, 
dear brethren, God has not sent you on your 
own charges in this christian warfare. He 
considered the work ere he began it — he be- 
gan it with a design to finish, and he has not 
only promised the end, but the means 
through which it is to be accomplished. 
%i Here is firm footii g — here is solid rock." 

God, who loved you with an everlasting love — 
with loving kindness has already drawn you? 
and the promise of his word is, that being jus- 



LECTURE XT. 



223 



lifted you shall much rather be saved. Yes ? 
christian, real perserving christian — you are 
safe — always sale — for the eternal God is thy 
refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. 

" A feeble saint shall win the day, 

" Though death and hell oppose the way/' 

These things are true, and '~God willing 
more abundantly to show to the heirs of sal- 
vation the immutability of his promise, has 
confirmed the same by an oath ; that by two 
immutable things, in which it was impossible 
for God to lie, we might have a strong conso- 
lation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold 
upon the hope set before us." Amen. 



LECTURE XII. 



THE RESURRECTION. 

JOH N xi. 25, 26. 

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the 
life : he that believeth in me, thongh he were dead^ 
yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believ* 
tth in me shall never die. Believest thou this ? 

The christian religion is the only religion 
on earth, which teaches the doctrine of a 
resurrection of the body. Other systems 
indeed have conceived of changes after 
death. We have heard of purgatoria advan- 
ces in an after life among the ancient heath- 
en, and of the doctrine of transmigration, 
or changes from animal to animal, among 
modern Idolators ; but these all were chan- 
ges, w hich they imagined only of the immor- 
tal spirit. That bodies should be raised af- 
ter being turned to dust, seems never to 
have been conceived by the heathen. It is 
purely a doctrine of revelation. On this 



226 



LECTURE XU. 



account, therefore, and also because we can 
conceive nothing of the manner of a resur- 
rection, from any thing we have yet witness- 
ed, it is necessary that we confine ourselves, 
with great fidelity, to the scriptures, while 
speaking on this subject. It is of the na- 
ture of a future prophecy : no part of it has 
yet been fulfilled : and any thing like spec- 
ulation, here, would be as presumptuous as 
to attempt fixing the end of the world. 

Carefully attending to these precautions, 
we hope, however, that the following points 
of discussion may be safely attempted : 

I. The certainty of a bodily resurrection : 

II. The author, o? meritorious end efficient 
cause of this resurrection : 

III. Something of its mode and circumstances. 
I. There will be a bodily resurrection. 
It may be that some of those scriptures, 

which we are accustomed to quote for this 
doctrine, had a primary reference to events 
which were to be witnessed in time. Of 
this class is the prophecy in Ezekiel, w here- 
by the vision of a resurrection of dry bones — 
the revival of Israel's dead hope, seems to 
be the immediate object in view. And so 
also, it may be, in the language of David, in 
the xvii. Psalm. " As forme, I will behold 
thy face in righteousness : I shall be satisfi- 



LECTURE XII. 



227 



ed, when 1 awake, with thy likeness." Here, 
and in some other passages, perhaps, the 
prophecy is to be understood as first impor- 
ting some future prosperity of the house of 
Israel, or of an individual, after a season of 
adversity ; and this is figuratively represen- 
ted as a resurrection. But an attentive rea- 
der of the Bible can hardly fail to see that 
something more and better is meant. 
These passages do, undoubtedly, contain a 
type, at least, of a literal resurrection ; and 
therefore they are usually quoted with that 
reference. 

But we have more unequivocal passages, 
even in the Old Testament. Job could say, 
(ch. xix. 25, 26) « For I know that my Re- 
deemer liveth : in my flesh shall I see God." 

And Isaiah, in one of the most beautiful 
of all* scriptural metaphors, has introduced 
the Redeemer and the church, as holding 
the following dialogue : " Thou hast increas- 
ed the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased 
the nation ; thou art glorified : thou hast 
removed it far unto all the ends of the earth, 
Lord, in trouble have they visited thee ; they 
poured out a prayer when thy chastening was 
upon them." (Ch. xxvi. 15, 16.) The Redeem- 
er answers : " Thy dead men shall live," &c. 
(verse 19 ;) and filled with joy and anima- 



223 



LECTURE XII. 



tion at the prospect — the church rejoins ; 
;t Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust ; 
and the earth shall cast out her dead." 

This is the reading given by the great 
commentator, Vitringa ; and if correct, the 
passage, as well as the other from Job, re- 
fers directly to a literal resurrection. 

But let us now proceed to the New Tes- 
tament, where life and immortality are more 
fully brought to light. Here it will be suffi- 
cient, merely to enumerate several passa- 
ges, and to defend them as we pass along, 
from erroneous constructions. 

Says the Saviour, (John v, 2,3.) i; The 
hour is coming, and now is. when the dead 
shall hear the voice of the Son of God ; and 
they that hear shall live." And then, lest this 
work which, thus far, is undoubtedly to be 
understood of calling dead sinners to spir- 
itual life, should be considered too great for 
the Redeemer to perform, he informs them, 
(verses 28, 29.) that the time is coming, when 
" all that are in their graves shall hear his 
voice, and shall come forth : they that have 
done good, unto the resurrection of life ; 
and they that have done evil, unto the res- 
urrection of damnation." In another place, 
(ch. xii. 24.) he says, in reference to his 



LECTURE XII. 



229 



own death — (and as he is the first fruit of the 
resurrection^ it will apply equally to all his 
children.) 44 Except a corn of wheat fall 
into the ground and die, it abideth alone ; 
but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (L 
e.) it shall be raised again, and in greater 
glory. Our text is also in point ; and if we 
consider the occasion upon which it was 
said, has great force. 44 I am, (says the Re- 
deemer, at the grave of Lazarus,) 44 1 am the 
resurrection and the life." And why did he 
then say it ? It was to comfort the sisters 
of Lazarus, under the loss of their brother ; 
and having said it, he proceeded immedi- 
ately to raise the body of Lazarus, in proof 
and fulfilment of his own declaration* 
Can it possibly be doubted, then, that Jesus 
meant to teach the doctrine of a bodily res- 
urrection by this saying ? 

It is still maintained by some, neverthe- 
less, that w r e are only to expect some spirit- 
ual or figurative resurrection hereafter ; and 
w r e will suggest further the following consid- 
erations : 

What is meant by calling Christ 44 the first 
fruits of them that slept," and by saying 
of saints, that they shall awake in the likeness 
of Christ, if it be not that they shall rise, 

20 



230 



LECTURE XII. 



not only in virtue, but in the similitude of 
Christ's rising ? 

So strong is Paul's conviction of the force 
of this argument, that he deems the whole 
truth and consolation of the gospel to de- 
pend upon it. " INow if Christ be preach- 
ed, that he rose from the dead, how say 
some among you that there is no resurrec- 
tion of the dead ? But if there be no res- 
urrection of the dead, then is Christ not 
risen : and if Christ be not risen, then is 
our preaching vain, and your faith is also 
vain." (1 Cor. xv. 12, 13, 14.) And still 
further on he affirms, (verse 18,) that on this 
supposition, (i. e.) if there were no resurrec- 
tion, " they also, which w ere fallen asleep 
in Christ, are perished," What, perished ? 
their souls ? no ffor these, Paul was persua- 
ded, " while they were absent from the body, 
were present with the Lord." It was the 
body, then, to which he had reference ; and 
these, he tells us, are perished — and all 
the precious hopes we hold for our bodies 
are perished with them, unless there be a 
resurrection* 

And finally, to remove all reasonable 
doubt on this point, in the progress of this 
description, the apostle speaks explicitly of 
the body, which is " saved," and the body 



LECTURE XLI. 



231 



which is " raised.'' Not in all respects the 
same body, he does not seem to me to say ; 
but a body for a body, rising from the grave — 
and not a spirit coming down from heaven. 
It will be after the similitude of a stalk of 
grain that springs from the perished kernel 
and this body, " God giveth, (says he) and to 
every seed his own body" Whatever difficul- 
ties we may find, in explaning the mode of 
this resurrection, one thing at least, seems 
certain — that the apostle is speaking of 
a literal and not a figurative resurrec- 
tion; and a resurrection not of the spirit, 
but of the body. This is sufficient for our 
present purpose ; and we hope the first po- 
sition may now be considered as establish- 
ed. Yes, the dead shall rise, whatever dif- 
ficulties attend the subject. Though, in the 
words of an author, " the sentence of death 
be just — though the effects of death be dis- 
mal — though the bonds of death be strong — 
though they be dead and buried — dead and 
putrified— * though the dust be so scattered 
and mixed with common dust, that no art of 
man can distinguish, much less separate 
them : put the case as strong as you will — 
it is made as nothing of in scripture" — 
6 > thy dead men shall live." 



232 



LECTURE XII. 



Nor let it stagger our faith, dear brethren 
— the cause is assigned : " I am, (says the 
Redeemer) the resurrection and the life." 
But this is the second point which was 
to be considered. 

II, The meritorious and efficient cause 

OF THE RESURRECTION. 

When man was in paradise, there was 
provided for him a tree, called the tree of life 
— the fruit of which was probably intended 
to preserve his immortality ; but when he 
fell, this tree of life was prohibited, and man 
sunk into a state of death, which must for- 
ever have tyrannised over him, soul and 
body. When you read, therefore, in the 
New Testament, of mother tree of life, " in 
the midst of the paradise of God," do you 
not recognize in it the Lord Jesus Christ, 
who came to restore the ruins* of the fall ? 
And do you not see, even in this figure, a 
striking illustration of the reason for calling 
Him the author of the resurrection ? 

In like manner, and at this early period, it 
was promised, that " the seed of the woman 
should bruise the serpent's head" — (i. e.) as 
the apostle understands it, " would de- 
stroy the works of the devil but one of the 
works of the devil is the miseries and shame 
produced by natural death. It wa& prophe- 



LECTURE XII. 



238 



cied, therefore, by the great Redeemer, " Oh 
death, / will be thy plagues ; O grave, I 
will be thy destruction !" This, our great 
Deliverer actually did, when he bore the 
sharp sting of imputed guilt, in the garden's 
agonies — when he suffered to the full sat- 
isfaction of the law on the cross — and when 
he rose to conquer the powerful foe of God 
and man, in his ascension through the air. 
It is with reference, therefore, to this view 
of the subject, that at the close of his ac- 
count of the resurrection, the apostle seems 
to exult over death and the grave, as if both 
were conquered and rendered harmless. Oh 
death, "J will be thy plagues ; O grave, I will 
be thy destruction." " Thanks be to God 9 
which giveth us the victory through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." 

It may be granted, now, that according to 
these prophecies, and this fulfilment of them, 
Jesus might be said to be the author of the 
resurrection in a spiritual sense alone ; but 
the deliverance, and therefore the author- 
ship must be extended to bodies also. Take 
the following proofs of this : These bodies 
feel the effects of sin, and therefore the con- 
sequences of sin cannot be considered as 
wholly destroyed until the body is raised and 

glorified : these bodies are also represented 

20* 



234 



LECTURE XH. 



in scripture as Christ's property. " Ye are 
Christ's, therefore glorify God, with your 
bodies and spirits, which are his." " Know 
ye not that your bodies are the temple of 
God." « My dead body shall they own," 
says Christ, in the prophetic dialogue to 
which w r e have before referred. Will Christ 
suffer his own property to be lost to him in 
the grave ? Shall he not raise members of 
bis own body, and flesh and bones ? and if 
he do so, is he not the author of the res- 
urrection to bodies also ? 

And there is another sense in which this 
work belongs to him. Not only by prediction 
and by a meritorious fulfilment of the predic- 
tion, is Christ the author of the resurrection; 
it is by his efficiency also. The literal resur- 
rection will be wrought by him. It is Christ, 
(says the apostle) " who shall change our 
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto 
his glorious body." (Phil. iii. 21.) The 
judgment is committed to him, as his appro- 
priate work, " because he is the Son of man.'* 
It is " the voice of the Son of God also, which 
they shall hear that are in their graves ;" as 
it w r as certainly proper that he who merited, 
and he who began the recovery of his chil- 
dren from death, should complete it by ex- 
ercising the Almighty power, which is to- 



LECTURE XII. 



233 



produce the resurrection. To express this* 
he said, " I am the resurrection and the 
life and then, instead of waiting until the 
end of all things, as Martha had supposed 
he must, for such a manifestation, he instant- 
ly gives a pledge of his office-work by rais- 
ing Lazarus from the grave. 

Here was a most stupendous exhibition of 

■ 

the power of the Redeemer : here was a 
lively similitude of that great concluding 
work of wonder, when the voice of the un- 
created arch-angel shall be heard from the 
clouds of heaven, and collect the scattered 
dust of sleeping millions from the tomb ! I 

If we now understand, in any clearer de- 
gree, how Christ is the meritorious and efficient 
author of the resurrection, we may proceed 
to the last particular. 

III. To consider something of the mode 

AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE RESURRECTION. 

And here, more than in any other part of 
my subject, I feel the necessity of being self- 
diffident, and shall confine myself as closely as 
possible to the plain instructions of scripture* 

1. In the first place, this resurrection begins 
with the spirit Though treating principal- 
ly of a corporeal resurrection, I feel it a duty 
to begin here, because it is so considered in 
Our text. Having said that « He was the 



236 



LECTURE XII. 



resurrection and the life," the Redeemer af- 
firms, " he that believeth in me, though he 
were dead, yet shall he live." This un- 
doubtedly refers to the new life of grace, to 
which the saint is created. Here the resur- 
rection, as is fitting, begins : " You hath he 
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and 
sins but it does not rest here — and there- 
fore the Saviour adds : " And whosoever liv- 
eth and believeth in me, shall never die (i. e. 
shall be finally raised from the dead and 
never perish. It is precisely like the paral- 
lel passage in John — the Saviour first affirms 
a spiritual resurrection through faith in him ; 
and then, as the possession of the soul im- 
plies his property in every thing else, ex- 
tends it to the body also. The resurrection 
of the saints must begin then with their 
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ; and then it 
proceeds to embrace the body also. The 
literal resurrection, however, will not be 
confined to the saints. 

2. And we say. therefore, in the second 
place, that this rising will be universal. 

Why the wicked as well as the righteous 
will be raised, we need not be very solicit- 
ous to know. It is rational to suppose, 
however, that as they have a connexion with 
the righteous here, whereby the righteous 



LECTURE XII, 

/ 



2i7 



are ultimately benefitted, it may be so in the 
resurrection; and it is very clear, further, 
that they must be raised at the general judg- 
ment, if God is to judge them according to 
deeds done in the body, and be glorified in 
that great event. We are sure, at any rate, 
that they will be raised ; for " all that are in 
their graves, shall hear the voice of the Son 
of God, and shall come forth ; they that have 
done good, to the resurrection of life, and 
they that have done evil, to the resurrection 
of damnation." The wicked shall rise, it is 
probable, in forms far different from those 
of the righteous. They shall rise subse- 
quently, in point of time — remaining behind^ 
perhaps, to begin their hell in a burning 
world — while the righteous are already with 
the Lord in the air — and suffering the an- 
guish already, of conscious guilt, shame, and 
everlasting contempt. (See 1 Cor. xv. 23, 
and Dan. xii. 2.) 

3. Circumstance : This resurrection shall 
be at the end of the world. There is, indeed, 
something said in scripture of a first resurrec- 
tion, at the commencement of the millenium ; 
but there are, to me, the strongest objec- 
tions to considering this as meant of a liter- 
al resurrection. I believe the first resur- 



238 



LECTURE XII. 



rection, spoken of in Revelation, has com- 
menced already, in the revival of the spirit 
of primitive Christianity ; and I suppose the 
raising of all the dead will be at the end of 
the world : then the last trumpet shall blow : 
then at the close of all sublunary things, in 
the winding up of the last earthly dispensa- 
tion — He to whom is given this work of rais- 
ing the dead, shall arouse them by one voice ; 
gather them in one assembly, and in one great 
and magnificent era, called by way of emi- 
nence, " the day of the Lord," shall finish the 
w r ork of mediatorial glory. 

4. Should it be asked in the fourth place, 
with what bodies the dead will rise, it is but 
little we have to say in answer. It would be 
easy to say, with Paul, that it is a spiritual 
body; but what is a spiritual body ? We 
have, I presume, no intelligent notion of such 
a body, and all we do is to speak by way of 
negative, and say, that bright glorious body, 
which will arise from the identity of the body 
left in the grave, will not be like flesh and 
blood, for these " cannot inherit the king- 
dom of beaten." 

And here I would pause to say, that there 
is a language sometimes used on this subject, 
which is not very scriptural, or perhaps safe : 
we often speak as if the same corporeal sub- 



LECTURE XII, 



239 



stance was to rise from the grave ; and we 
talk of dissevered limbs and scattered 
bones, as flying through the air, to be reuni- 
ted. The representation, 1 think, is not war- 
ranted by scripture ; and all we can affirm on 
this subject is, that for every body deposit- 
ed in the grave, and from that very body, as 
far as essential identity is concerned, there 
shall arise a spiritual, bright and glorious 
body at the resurrection. 

5. And for what purpose shall this general 
resurrection take place f It will be, that saints 
may be made fully happy : It will be that the 
last triumph of death may be destroyed : It 
will be that the wicked may be judged : and 
it will be general, at one time, in order, as it 
seems to me, that the world may see and 
acknowledge together tha righteousness of / 
the ways of God. 

Then shall we see, my brethren, what a 
reach of power and authority that must be 
which can congregate and overlook at once 
this countless multitude, what is that om- 
niscience, which can search and try every 
individual, in all their characters and rela- 
tions ; and what that wisdom which, outgo- 
ing, and finally disentangling this endless 
maze of human conduct and events, shall 
cause all things to work for his own glory, 



240 



LECTURE XIL 



and the infinite good of his creatures 
Nothing — nothing will so glorify God ; noth- 
ing will give us such extended views of his 
endless power and wisdom, as when we shall 
see him judging the world. 

And what, finally, will be the ultimate con- 
sequences of this resurrection and judgment ? 
On this point, our text leaves us at no loss* 
He that has believed while living, shall be 
fixed in blessedness and never perish. The 
w r icked, by a parity of reasoning, and accor- 
ding to other express scriptures — the wick- 
ed, who have not believed while living, shall 
be driven aw ay in their wickedness, to shame 
and everlasting contempt. 

We may be sure of this from two addition- 
al considerations. The first is that in the 
text from Daniel, as well as a powerful one 
from Matthew— the same duration is given to 
the perdition of the wicked, as to the glory 
of the saints : " some shall awake to 
everlasting life, and some to shame and 
everlasting contempt/' And the other 
consideration is, that this word everlasting, 
when applied to any era beyond time, does, 
according to the soundest crticism, import 
a duration absolutely without end. Here 
then we have the grand results of this great 
transaction. The righteous are confirmed in 



LECTURE XII. 



241 



eternal blessedness. It was riot enough, that 
they lived the new life of grace on earth : It 
was not enough that, believing on Christ, 
they were sustained through all the trials of 
their pilgrimage. By him they are now to 
receive their eternal fixedness of perfection. 
Drawing from this exhaustless fountain, they 
live and grow, and are happy still ; running 
out a whole eternity of happy existence— 
4i because they believed in him, they shall 
never perish." But the wicked " are not so.' 9 
They who believed not, while living, shall 
perish, sinking bottomless deeps of distance 
from heaven down— down they measure their 
awful pitch of woe, by the endless line of the 
happy life of heaven. Surely here are re- 
sults worthy of all the magnitude which is 
given to this great event, and all the long 
train of preparation which has, for ages, 
been making for it. And now to attempt an 
application of this solemn subject. 

1. What dignity and glory does it give, in 
the fast place, to the character of Christ ! " He 
is the resurrection and the life" — the au- 
thor and finisher of this great work. He un- 
dertook officially, to destroy the works of 
the devil, and of course to abolish death : 
He effected, meritoriously, the ground of 
this, by his own obedience and sufferings : 

21 



242 



LECTURE XII. 



He begins it efficiently, by quickening sin- 
ners through faith ; in the end, his own pow- 
er shall literally raise the dead, and then 
supply his saints from the same fountain of en- 
ergies and vitality, so that they never perish. 
Do we want any further proof that Christ is 
an infinite being ? Does he ever appear 
more glorious than when we hear him say, 
" 1 am the resurrection and the life, and who- 
soever liveth and believeth in me, shall nev- 
er perish ?" There is a rising strength and 
glory in the very description ! 

2. And now, what a ground of confidence and 
consolation must this doctrine afford to the true 
christian. It comes to him on a subject, in 
w 7 hieh, most of all, he feels the need of con- 
solation. It comes to him on a subject for 
which all other sources of instruction are si- 
lent or inefficient. Placed in a world where he 
is continually conversant with death — from 
which world he sees he must soon depart by 
death himself — oh, how desirable is it to 
know something of the doctrine of a resur- 
rection ! How natural to ask, as he sees the 
grave closing on all that is living around 
him — is this, this then, the end of all corpo- 
real glory ? our pomp, our beauty, our high 
raised hopes of earthly goodness, do they 
end here forever ? 



LECTURE XII. 



243 



* Ah ! in those silent realms of night 
Shall peace and hope no more arise 1 
No future morning light the tomb, 
Is or day-star gild the morning skies .? 

" Shall spring the faded world revive^ 
Shall waning moons their light return ? 
Again shall setting suns ascend 
And the lost day anew be born ? 

M Shall life revisit dying worms, 
And spread the joyful insect's wing ? 
And oh, shall man awake no more, 
To see thy face, thy name to sing ?" 

Look down then into the grave, with this 
inquiry, but accompanied also, with the in- 
structions of our subject : Look into it as 
the cold and lonely bed, where you must 
soon rest for yourselves ; but behold, gleam- 
ing and gladening upon its darkness, the 
light of immortal blessedness. Says the Re- 
deemer, " 1 am the resurrection and the life.' 5 
Look down to that grave as the rallying 
place ; the dark and dreary sepulchre of ail 
your dear friends and relatives! You can- 
not look with more anxiety, my brethren, 
with more misgivings, than did Mary and 
Martha, into the tomb of Lazarus ; and yet, 
if you now look with that faith, which Christ 
inculcated, you will see all its gloom give 
way : you will hear him declaring, " whoso- 
ever believeth in me, though he were dead, 
yet shall he live f and remembering now, 



244 



LECTURE XII. 



who it is thai says this, you will feel that ro 
difficulties of the process — no depths of its 
mystery — no strength of the destroyer — no 
duration of their slumbers — no scattered or 
loathsome condition of their ashes, shall pre- 
vent your seeing all your pious friends again, 
clothed in immortal beauty. Surely, here is 
consolation adequate to all the sorrows, 
which death and bereavement can bring up- 
on us : it is that strong consolation, which Je- 
sus seems to labour to produce in us, by the 
remarkable reiterations of our text 

And finally^ brethren, let me close by ask- 
ing each one the question of our Saviour in the 
text : " Believest thou this ?" Do you re- 
ally believe, that a mighty scheme of mercy 
has been set in operation, the object of 
which is to destroy the power of death ? Do 
you really believe that Jesus Christ is the 
meritorious and efficient author of this work ? 
Do you really believe that it is only he " who 
Uveth and believeth," that shall be happy af- 
ter the resurrection ? and do you really be- 
lieve that this great transaction is indeed to 
be witnessed by us ? Do you truly expect 
to see Jesus revealed in the clouds of heav- 
en — hear his voice bursting the tombs asun- 
der — see countless millions from earth's and 
sea's remotest bounds, flocking to his tribfi- 



LECTURE XII. 



215 



rial — behold all your departed kindred — in- 
habit your own untried spiritual body — 
enter into bliss, and draw the life of ages 
from your union to the Redeemer— or sink, 
remote and succourless, in the dark waves of 
perdition forever ? Do you really expect ail 
these things ? BcJievest thou this ? Then 
what are your feelings, and what your con- 
duet and preparation ? Amen. 

21* 



LECTURE XIII. 



THE DOCTRINE OF A FUTURE JUDGMENT. 

MATTHEW xxv. 31— to the exi>. 

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all lh& 
holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne 
of his glory : and before him shall be gathered all na- 
tions ; and he shall separate them one from another, 
as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : and 
he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on 
the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his 
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of 
the world : for I was an hungered, and ye gave me 
meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : / was a 
stranger, and ye took me in : naked, and ye clothed me : 
I was sick, and ye visited me ; I was in prison, and 
%e came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer 
Mm, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and 
fed thee ? or thirsty and gave thee drink ? When saw 
we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and 
clothed thee ? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, 
and came unto thee ? And the King shall answer, and 
say unto them, Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye 
havg done it unto one of the least of these my brethren^ 



LECTURE XIH. 



ye have done it unto me. Trien shall he say also unfa 
them on the left hand, Depart f, om me, ye curst J, in- 
to everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his an- 
gels : for I was an hungered, and ue gave no meal : I 
was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a Gran- 
ger, and ye took me not in : naked, and ye clothed me 
not : sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then 
shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when 
saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or 
naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister 
unto thee ? Then shall he answer them, saying. Verify I 
say unto you, in as much as ye did it not to one of the 
least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall 
go away into everlasting punishment t but the righteous 
irUo life eternal. 

We come now, in the last of our course 
of lectures, to speak of the doctrine of 
a general judgment ; and we have, 

L The following reasons to effer. for be- 
Ueving that the very solemn and remarkaCle pas- 
sage, which has now been read, refers to that 

EVENT. 

1. The connexion and occasion of the passage, 
evidently prove this. 

In the 24th, and a part of this chapter,, 
the Saviour is speaking of the calamities 
which were coming upon the Jewish nation, 
and adds solemn admonitions for watchful- 
ness unto that great event. He has given us 
a literal prediction of the destruction of the 
temple — the signs to precede that event, 
and the distress which should follow ; and 



LECTURE XIII. 



249 



he now subjoins the parable of the ten vir- 
gins* and that of the talents — closing the 
whole with the description contained in our 
text. Now, it is a well known principle in 
the language of prophecy, that temporal 
events, which are similar, are predicted as 
types or representations of greater events to 
follow ; as when David predicts the reign of 
Christ by the glory of Solomon — and as the 
millenium is often foretold in the same pas- 
sages which relate to the return from the 
captivity of Babylon. 

This being understood, what is more evi- 
dent, than that these predictions of Jerusa- 
lem's overthrow, and the admonitions which 
are connected, relate ultimately to the gen- 
eral judgment ? not now to insist that there 
are many representations connected with 
them, altogether too strong, and of too gene- 
ral application for any other event. 

Add, moreover, that one part of the very 
question of the disciples, upon which the 
Saviour gives this whole discourse, had 
been, " what shall be the sign of thy com- 
ing, and of the end of the world ?" and we 
can hardly imagine, that the Saviour would 
close without alluding to that event. This 
view of the subject is so satisfactory to me, 
that I confess, if this passage be not intends 



250 



LECTURE XIII. 



ed of the day of general judgment, I see not 
how any passage of the Bible can be shown 
to be. 

2. There are things affirmed in this descrip- 
tion, which have not yet taken place. " All na- 
tions" have not yet been " assembled before 
the Son of man," for judgment : They have 
never yet, been " separated," into two great 
classes^ " one on his right hand, and one on 
his left." The righteous have not been pub- 
lickly acknowledged before his throne, be- 
ing rather as yet, " the hidden ones" of his 
affection, " whom the world knoweth not :" 
nor have the wicked nations ever yet made 
their unavailing excuse for neglecting the 
Saviour ; for to the most of them he never has 
yet been proclaimed. AW these represen- 
tations, however, are here given, as belong- 
ing to the transaction ; and no license or in- 
genuity of figurative construction in lan- 
guage, can persuade me that they are in- 
tended of events which are past. 

3. There are things affirmed in this de- 
scription, which could not, in the nature of the 
case, be affirmed of any event, but that of a fu- 
ture, general judgment. Let any other ap- 
plication be supposed, and observe what dif- 
ficulties will follow. For instance, suppose 
the overthrow of Jerusalem, and the disper- 



LECTURE XUi. 



25! 



sion of the Jews be meant : 1 have then to 
ask, did these Jews make any plea on that 
occasion—arid are they already gone into ev- 
erlasting punishment f The answer is, that so 
far from pleading for the favour of Christ, 
they still continued to reject him ; and in- 
stead of | enduring everlasting punishment 
they are yet to return to their inheritance. 
Or suppose, with some, that this judgment 
is only intended of the sins of men : Is sin 
then to be arraigned— or has it yet been ar- 
raigned as a separate existence ? is sin to be 
condemned for not having fed, and clothed, 
and visited, and comforted the Saviour ? It 
is too absurd : there is one easy and natural 
way of understanding the 'passage, and all 
others are inexplicable, if not presumptu- 
ous and wicked. 

4. As the things here de scribed are such 
as have not yet transpired, and such as, from 
the nature of the case, cannot be applied to 
any other than a general judgment — the de- 
scriptions do, on the other hand, agree with 
what is elsewhere represented of this event. For 
instance, wo have here " the Son of man f 
coming and sitting upon a throne So 
Daniel in his vision, " beheld, until the 
thrones were cast down (or pitched as it 
should have been rendered,) and the ancient 



252 



LECTURE XIII. 



of days did sit." (Dan. vii. 9.) Here, again, 
4i holy angels"' are with him, and all nations 
assembled*' before that Judge : and so also, 
in the other instance, " thousands of thou- 
sands minister unto him, and ten thousand 
times ten thousand, stand before him." Here 
the wicked make their plea, and are silenced and 
condemned. In another scripture, we hear of 
a time when " every mouth shall be stopped, 
and all the world become guilty before 
God." (See Rom, iii. 19, with ii. 15, 16.) 
Here is a separation of the whole world into two 
great classes, according to their characters, 
with the final confirmation of both punish- 
ment and reward ; and so, abundantly, in oth- 
er scriptures — " They that have done good, 
shall come forth unto the resurrection of life ; 
and they that have done evil, unto the resur- 
rection of damnation." (John v. 29, and Dan. 
sii. 2.) To this remarkable agreement of 
our text with other representations of scrip- 
ture, and to all else that has now been offer- 
ed for understanding it, as relating to the 
general judgment, let us add a few r explicit 
passages : 

" Our God shall come, and shall not keep 
silence : a fire shall devour before him, and 
it shall be very tempestuous round about 
him. He shall call to the heavens from above, 



LECTURE XIII. 253 

and to the earth that he may judge his peo- 
ple.*' (Ps. L 3, 4.) 44 But now commandeth 
all men every where to repent : because he 
hath appointed a day, in the which he will 
judge the world in righteousness, by that man 
whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath 
given assurance unto all men, in that he hath 
raised him from the dead." (Acts xvii. 30, 
31.) " For we must all," says the apostle, 
- appear before the judgment seat of Christ ; 
that every one may receive the things done 
in his body, according to that he hath done, 
whether it be good or bad." (1 Cor. v. 10.) 
44 For the Lord himself shall descend from 
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 
archangel, and with the trump of God : and 
the dead in Christ shall rise first," (1. Thes. 
iv. 16.) 44 And I saw a great white throne" 
(says John) 44 and him that sat on it, from 
whose face the earth and the heaven fled 
away ; and there was found no place for 
them. And I saw the dead, small and great, 
stand before God; and the books were open- 
ed: and another book was opened, which is 
the book of life : and the dead were judged 
out of those things which were written in 
the books, according to their works. And 
the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; 
?-2 



254 



LECTURE XIII. 



and death and hell delivered up the dead 
which were in them ; arid they were judged 
every man according to their w r orks. And 
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 
This is the second deat . And whosoever 
w r as not found written in the book of life was 
cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. xx. 11, to 
the end.) 

[Additional passages for this doctrine — 
John xiv. 3. Acts i. 11. Phil. iii. 20, 21. Tit. 
iL 13, and 2 Pet. iii. 10, 11, 12, 13.] 

We must think now, that the passage cho- 
sen for our text is proved to refer to the gen- 
eral judgment, and that the doctrine is es- 
tablished of course, as w ell from that as from 
other scriptures. Not to believe it, it w r ould 
be necessary to break in upon all the estab- 
lished usages of prophetic language — to show 
that events hive already taken place of 
which history gives no account — to apply 
figures and representations in a way that is 
greatly absurd — to take away a part of pro- 
phecy relating to futurity, which perfectly 
agrees with other prophecies ; and to con- 
trovert scriptures so plain on this subject, 
that if they do not affirm a future general 
judgment, we cannot conceive of language 
which should affirm it. 



LECTURE XIII. 



255 



Supposing the certainty of a general judg- 
ment to be established, therefore, and that 
our text is a description of it, let us 

II. Attend to some of its circumstances, 
and its results. For the exhibition of these, 
we shall confine ourselves to the text : not 
even attempting at present, to give a general 
description of that great day. 

1. The person to whom judgment is committed 
is the " Son of man.'' This is a name given 
to the Divine Saviour, on account of his hu- 
man descent — and its use here seems to in- 
timate one grand reason why He, rather 
than another person of the Deity, is to con- 
duct the general judgment. It is for the 
purpose of more perfectly displaying his 
glory, by contrasting it with his humiliation : 
for thus it is said of him : " the Father hath 
given him authority to execute udgment. 
also, because he is the Son of man." (John 
v. 2 j, 27.) Therefore, 

2. The manner of his coming to judg- 
ment will be with sudden and awful display of 
glory. " The Son of man, (says our text) 
shall come in his glory, and sit upon the 
throne of his glory" What the nature and 
exact degree of that attendant glory will be. 
we shall never conceive until we witness it 
— nor are our faculties capable of it, unless 



256 



LECTURE XIII. 



they could embrace infinity, or reduce spir- 
itual existences to material. Undoubtedly 
most of the descriptions of revelation on 
this subject are to be considered as figura- 
tive : of course they must fall far short of an 
adequate exhibition. But even according to 
this measure, the appearance of the Son of 
man will be surpassingly glorious and aw- 
fully sublime. Take the visions of Daniel, or 
of John, for instance — or the prophecies of 
Paul, and yoil have representations in com- 
parison with which I know of nothing equal 
in scripture, You will then see him appear 
suddenly " in flaming fire" — revealed in 
quick vengeance upon his enemies, as sheets 
of lightning shoot out from a riven thunder 
cloud — " attended with all the holy angels," 
even " thousands of thousands stand before 
him, and ten thousand times ten thousand 
minister unto him"— hearalded by the " voice 
of an arch-angel and the;trump of God." — 
An august and ancient personage makes his 
appearance, " clothed with a vesture down 
to the foot, and girt about the paps with a 
golden girdle, sitting upon a great white throne, 
from whose presence the heaven and earth flee 
away" This will be the sudden and the 
glorious appearance of your Judge, hear- 



LECTURE XIII, 



257 



ers — and it will be thus glorious, for one rea- 
son, because he is the Son of man. 

3. To this judgment, all nations are to be as- 
sembled, and when assembled they shall be separa- 
ted. Figurative or not figurative, there is no 
escaping this conclusion from the passage, if 
our text refers, as we have proved, to a future 
judgment ; and if it mean any thing as de- 
scriptive of that event, it must mean that 
the judgment shall be universal ; and that 
all will not stand together, but be separated 
in that assembly. We choose to leave this 
representation, in all its simple plainness, up- 
on your memories. Take then, the words 
of our text, as they stand : hear Christ him- 
self saying, " that before him shall be gath- 
ed all nations, and he shall separate them one 
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep 
from the goats." Take these words as tru« 
ly referring to the manner of the future judg- 
ment, and say, on your consciences, if you 
can believe that all will stand alike, and in 
one relation before the Son of man ? No, 
my dear brethren — and your consciences 
bear me witness while I say so — there will 
be a division between saints and sinners, at 
the day of doom. 

4. We take notice of the welcoming of the 
nghteous into bliss, with the glory and the ground 

22* 



258 



LECTURE XIII. 



of that blessedness. " Come, ye blessed of my 
Father, (will the Judge say to the righteous) 
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from 
the foundation of the world : for / was an 
hungered, and ye gave me meat : I was 
thirsty, and ye gave me drink." What bless- 
ed words of welcome are these, succeeding 
as they do, to the terrors of the Redeemers 
majesty, and the raging thunders of a dissol- 
ving universe ! what intimations of the an- 
cient destination and perpetuity of this re- 
ward, in the saying, "prepared for you of 
my Father, before the foundation of the 
w r orld and what a comfortable ground of 
this assurance, in representing all as given, 
because of our near relation to Christ ! 
Thus I understand the latter part of the 
representation : " I was an hungered, and ye 
gave me meat And when it is inquired 9 
" when saw we thee an hungered, and gave 
thee meat ?" the Saviour answers : " in as 
much as ye have done it unto one of the 
least of these my brethren, ye have done ifc 
unto me that is, those to whom ye did it 
were my children — ye also are my children, 
and ye have therefore done it unto me. 

It relates to the union of Christ and believ- 
ers — and, on this subject, the strong fig- 
ures used in another part of scripture, d$not 



LECTURE XI fL 



259 



now appear too strong : for, in both, we hear 
the Saviour say, " I am the vine, ye are the 
branches'' — ye are members of my body, and 
flesh, and bones — ye have manifested this 
union by your deeds of righteousness, and I 
now receive you on this ground, into your 
everlasting kingdom. 

5. To the wicked, now standing on the 
left hand, the Judge will utter a very differ- 
ent language : " Depart, from me, ye cursed, 
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil 
and his angels." A, doom equally ancient in 
destination, and equally memorable, is thus 
denounced upon the wicked : it is a doom of 
signal relationship, being of the same nature 
with that denounced ages before, upon apos- 
tate angels — and the ground of it is the 
want of obedience to righteousness, mani- 
festing a want of union to the Saviour. 

It is worth a long and serious remem- 
brance, brethren, that the wicked will be 
condemned at last, for sins of omission. " Iivas 
naked and ye clothed me not ; sick and in prison, 
and ye visited me not" And it is reasonable it 
should be so. For the sin of omitting to obey 
Christ has the full principle of rebellion in 
it— and here it manifests especially, a total 
disconnexion with and enmity against him. 

Finally, the results of this transaction, to el- 



260 



LECTURE Xlifc 



ther of the parties, will be determinate and alto- 
gether unchangeable. "These, (the wicked) shall 

go away into everlasting punishment : hut the 
righteous into life eternal." It is of vast im- 
portance, hearers, that we rightly receive 
this part of the Saviour's description. Eve- 
ry thing of weight and awfulness in a future 
judgment, and every thing momentous to our 
own soul's interest in it, depend on this truth 
— whether its results will be final, or whether 
there will be any change after the day of 
judgment 

Let us carefully, and without any bias, 
then, consider the reasons for believing it fi- 
nal. 

First. The plain and natural understand- 
ing of the passage is in favour of it, 
44 These shall go away into everlasting pun- 
ishment." 1 question whether any child, or 
any candid person, who had not been in the 
habit of hearing systems defended, would 
think of understanding the passage in any 
other way. He would have read before of 
some who are " suffering the vengeance of 
eternal five (Judei. 7) of others " who shall 
be punished with everlasting destruction from 
the presence of the Lord, and from the glory 
of his power ;" (2 Thess. i. 9) and he hears 
the Saviour now say, at the close of a formal 



LECTURE XIII. 



261 



description of the day of judgment — " these 
(the wicked) shall go away into everlasting 
punishment : but the righteous into life eter- 
nal." What would he naturally conclude ? 
would he think of any other construction, 
than that it meant the final state of the wick- 
ed ? But 

Secondly. The connexion of the passage re- 
quires this interpretation. Just before, the 
Saviour has invited the righteous into the 
kingdom prepared for them from the founda- 
tion of the world, and denounced upon the 
wicked, in correspondent terms, the durabil- 
ity of the kingdom prepared for them. Thus 
far, no one ever thought of breaking in upon 
the perfect parallelism of the two cases. But 
noWv adds the Saviour, 64 these shall go away 
into everlasting punishment : but the right- 
eous into life eternal,*' Now r , since not 
only the same parallelism of representation 
as before, but the same ivord, " everlasting," 
is used in reference to the reward of the 
righteous, and the punishment of the wick- 
ed — is it not reasonable to conclude that 
both these states are to be eternal ? I know* 
all this has been said a thousand times be- 
fore ; but the fact that it has been so often 
said, and never refuted, is not a very unfa- 
vourable evidence of its validity. But 



262 



LECTURE XIII. 



Thirdly ) a critical examination of the word 
itself requires it. We know well that the 
word everlasting is sometimes used to denote 
a temporal duration : as when we read of 
the everlasting hills — and when the Jewish 
church state is called everlasting. The pro- 
priety of the usage is obvious. It denotes, 
in these instances, that the objects to which 
it is applied should endure to the end of the 
state or dispensation in which they have 
their existence. The Jewish church should 
endure to the end of that dispensation : the 
solid mountains will endure to the end of 
time. 

Now adapt this usage in the case, and 
what will everlasting mean, when applied to an 
era beyond tune ? it will mean to the end of eter- 
nity ! But we have seen it so used to day: 
after the day of judgment, it is said. ;i the 
wicked shall go away into everlasting punish- 
ment." That awful doom, therefore, shall 
last to the end of eternity. This argument is 
tome perfectly conclusive. The word ev- 
erlasting, as here used, does mean a term al- 
together endless. It is the same word used to 
describe the eternity of God, " from everlas- 
ting to everlasting, thou art God" — it is the 
same word used to describe the previous eter- 
nity of the Son of God, ? whose goings forth 



LECTURE XI!L 



2(33 



are from of old, even from everlasting it is 
the same word used to describe the heav- 
en of the righteous—" these shall go away in- 
to life everlasting and if, now\ in its natural 
connexion, and critical construction, it do not 
mean endless here, then language is incapable 
of expressing that idea. 

Finally, this event s every where, and al- 
ways, when spoken of in scripture, represented 
as a concluding event. The judgment is called 
the judgment ; (Heb. ix. 27 ;) and elsewhere, 
the last day — the great and terrible day of 
the Lord." The trumpet, which awakes 
the dead, is called ;i the last trumpet."' (1 
Cor. xv. 52.) It is the subduing of all things 
to himself, by Christ : (verse 26 :) it is a fin- 
ishing of the mediatorial kingdom (verse 
28 :) ;; It is the second death (Rev. xx. 14 :) 
and it is that appointment in which the 
unjust shall be unjust still ; and the filthy 
remain filthy still. (Rev. xxii. 11.) 

These, certainly, are strong representa- 
tions—and now, 1 ask, is there any thing 
which appears in opposition ? Is there any 
thing said, in scripture, even intimating a 
change after the day of judgment ? If so, 
where is it ? In what chapter, and in what 
language is it intimated, that there shall be 
another dispensation after the day of judg- 



264 



LECTURE X1IL 



merit ? No where, brethren ; not one verse 
whispers it : there is a deep and awful silence 
reigns here — and by that awful silence, sa 
well as the positive assertions on the other 
side, the word of God has shut up the final- 
ly impenitent to a fixed state. We have no 
disposition to exaggerate here — our feelings 
forbid it : If w r e mistake not, there is a deep 
and anxious concern for sinners, when we 
think on this subject, which would lead us 
sooner to weep for them than to aggravate 
their doom. Neither shall we at present at- 
tempt to speculate on the nature of future pun- 
ishment. It is enough to know its certain- 
ty — and that it is unchangeable. What God 
will do to the wicked, in kind, we know not— 
and we do not desire to know ; but we do 
know what he will not do with them : he will 
never make them holy : he will never receive 
them into heaven : he will never change their 
destiny : it must be, oh it must be, eternal ! 

Such, if we are not mistaken, is the scrip- 
tural doctrine of a future judgment. The 
passage under consideration is a formal de- 
scription of that event ; and from this we 
learn its circumstances : it will be the sadden 
and glorious appearing of the Son of man : 
the whole world will be assembled before him, 
and divided into classes: they will be judged^ 



LECTURE XIII. 



265 



on the ground of their obedience, or non-obedi- 
wice — thereby intimating a union, or want of 
union to the Redeemer : and the important 
results will be, a state of exalted glory to the 
righteous, with the banishment and unchangeable 
misery of the wicked. 

Already, I should hope, we have a magni- 
tude and interest given to this subject, suffi- 
cient to commend it to our most serious and 
lasting attention. But we feel disposed to 
urge it still further, by carrying out some of 
the principles in a more particular applica- 
tion. 

1. What an affecting exhibition does one 
part of this subject afford us, of the humilia- 
tion of Christ ! 44 I was an hungered, (says 
he to the wicked) and ye gave me no 
meat : thirsty, and ye gave no drink : 1 was 
a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, 
and ye clothed not : sick and in prison, and 
ye visited me not." This, though spoken 
with principal reference to Christ's poor 
children, was, in almost all points, true of 
himself On earth the Saviour was a specta- 
cle of extreme poverty ; and had it been 
our lot to have had a personal acquaintance 
w him, we should have seen him literal- 
ly hi igry— friendless — without comfortable 
clothing, and abandoned, apparentlv, of God 

23 



266 



LECTURE XIII. 



and man. What a spectacle, had we known 
especially, w ho it was that was thus hum- 
bled, and for what cause ! It was the Lord 
of life and glory, that was thus wretched : 
it was for our sakes, brethren, that " he be- 
came poor.*' 

2. But observe, secondly, what a glorious 
contrast in his character, the day of which we 
have been speaking, wiU exhibit. " The Son of 
man shall sit on tire throne of his glory." It 
will be the Son of man still ; but he will 
then be seen in exaltation. From a hung- 
ry and thirsty out-cast, he will reign in all 
the splendour of a God : from being alone 
and despised — nations and innumerable hosts 
of angels will stand before him : from a 
swaddled babe, and a criminal that was con- 
demned, and mocked, and spit upon — he 
will be seen robed in omnipotence, and sit- 
ting as the Judge of quick and dead. Yes, it 
is the same Being, sinner, and you will be 
there to witness the amazing change. 

3. Our subject presents, in a strong light, 
the criminal nature of the sins of omission. Ma- 
ny are ready to imagine that these sins are 
of no very serious consequence — and if 
through any favourable circumstances, they 
have been kept from gross transgression, it is 
seldom that their consciences are troubled 



LECTURE XIII. 



267 



from omitting the duties of religion. Let it 
be considered, however, that the scriptures 
give another view of this subject. To omit 
what God has required is of the same na- 
ture as to transgress what is forbidden. It 
proceeds from the same cause — has as 
strong a principle of rebellion in it — and as 
it manifests the same want of union to 
Christ — the original cause of all obedience 
— will be made the ground of decision at 
the day of judgment. " I was an hungered, 
and ye gave no meat." But 

4. We have here an encouraging and most 
interesting view of the facts of Christian charity. 
Whom do you minister unto, christian, when 
you sincerely perform an act of benevo- 
lence ? " In as much (says the Saviour) as 
ye have done it unto the least of these my 
brethren, ye have done it unto me." Without 
exaggeration, you may consider yourselves 
as ministering to Christ himself— and to 
Christ the humbled Saviour, needing and 
asking for this assistance. Higher motives 
to christian charity cannot be presented, 
Oh, consider it when you feed the poor, vis- 
it the sick, or give to the wretched heathen : 
place before your mind a suffering Christ— 
and see if warmer blood does not thrill 



268 



LECTURE Xlfh 



through the hand that is^ stretched out to 
relieve him. And 

Finally ; we are enabled thus to determine, for 
ivhieh side of the judgment seat of Christ we are 
preparing. That day being such as we havfe 
seen it, a greater question was never agita- 
ted, certainly, than this — where we shall 6d 
found in the trial? Let this text assist us in 
deciding. Are we feeding the poor, cloth- 
ing the naked, and relieving the distressed ? 
Are we especially doing this for religious 
distresses ? and are we doing it from love 
to Christ, and because of our own living un- 
ion with him ? Then are we preparing 
for his right hand : then shall we hear him 
welcome us to all the joys of his Father^ 
house, at the great day of judgment. Amen, 



LECTURE Xlt. 



THE VALUE OF REDEMPTION, 
PSALM xlix. 3. 

The redemption of their soul is precious* 

There is a degree of obscurity in this 
passage, which we shall attempt to remove 
before speaking directly of what is believed 
to be its leading sentiment. From the con- 
text, it would at first appear that the Psalm- 
ist is speaking of the value of natural life to 
man, " None (says he) can by any means 
redeem his brother, nor give to God a ran- 
som for him" — " that he should still live for- 
ever, and not see corruption," The text in- 
tervenes these sentences, and as the scrip- 
tures use the same original word for soul and 
life, it might be supposed that the rendering 

should have been life in all these instance^ 

23* 



270 



LECTURE XIV, 



and then the sentiment of our text would 
simply be, that the redemption of life from 
death is precious ; being, by mere natural 
causes, altogether impossible. This I ap- 
prehend, however, is not the only or princi- 
pal meaning of the text. 

There is, indeed, an analogy, in many res- 
pects, between the principal of natural life 
in man, and that immortal thinking part 
called the soul : so much so, that the an- 
cients, as we have seen, used the same word 
to express both ; and it may reasonably be 
doubted whether they had clear apprehen- 
sions of the proper distinctions between 
them. Now this being the case, it was nat- 
ural for David, and common to the dispensa- 
tion under which he lived, to open this sub- 
ject, as he avows, " in a parable," and to 
speak of the great subject of the souPs re- 
demption in connexion with a represenation 
concerning natural life. I believe, then, that 
the passage has reference to both these sub- 
jects. No man by his riches can save life — 
much less can he give a ransom for the soul. 
Its redemption is very precious : " it costs 
more to redeem the soul," is the rendering 
in some versions : and we shall feel justified 
in considering the passage in this higher ref- 
erence THE VALUE OF REDEMPTION. 

Let us attempt, then, to estimate the worth 



LECTURE XIV., 



271 



and importance of redemption, and this from 
several considerations. 

I. And first, THE SUBJECT OF REDEMPTION. 

This is the soul — not the destinies of mat- 
ter— not of animals or of mere intelligence, 
are we now to speak, but of the immortal 
spirit ; and with all its powers and affec- 
tions, to enter into the value of its re- 
demption, we must conceive something of 
the worth of the spirit itself. The worth of 
the soul appears, then, 

1. From the history of our creation. There 
is obviously a beautiful gradation in all the 
works of God ; whereby those parts that 
are less excellent in nature are made depen- 
dent on others above them ; and this grada- 
tion seems to have obtained in the order of 
time in which the different existences 
were created. The lowest order of cre- 
ated things seems to be unorganized mat- 
ter. God, therefore, first created this. " In 
the beginning God created the heavens and 
the earth ; and the earth was without form 
and void." (Gen. i. 1, 2.) He next created 
elementary light : next vegetation : next light 
was organized into the luminaries : brute ant- 
mds obtained the next order in creation — 
and, last of all, he created man. Man was thus 
signalized as the best of God's works on 



272 



LECTURE XIV, 



earth ; and to graduate the worth of his pro- 
perties still farther, his soul was created 
subsequently to the body, and by a different 
process. Of the dust was man's body crea- 
ted ; but God " breathed into man the breath 
of life, and man became a living soul. r% 
(Gen. iii 7*) The soul of man, then, was 
the last direct act of creating power, that 
God ever exercised on earth. 

This order in creation bespeaks something 
of marked and preeminent value in the hu- 
man soul : nor was this preeminence impro- 
perly assigned to it. Look, 

2. Jit the nature and capacities of the soul. It 
is by the soul, or his powers of thinking and 
invention, that man is able to rule the brute 
creation ; for the brute creation are possess- 
ed, in many instances, of physical powers, 
far superior to his own. It is by his pow- 
ers of invention, that effects in physicks are 
produced, which all the immeasurable force 
of the elements could never produce i£ left 
to their own direction. By mechanical in- 
vention these powers are brought to ope- 
rate to specifick purposes, and vast and oth- 
erwise immoveable bodies are handled at 
pleasure. The giant power of steam lifts 
the massy mountain from its bed — and the 
ship is directed unhurt, through all the fury 
of tempests — when, without the governing 



LECTURE XIV, 



273 



direction of man, she must be overwhelmed 
or crushed as in an instant. 

But what shall we say further, in this con- 
nexion, of man's abstruser powers ! what 
depth of reasoning and judgment does he 
possess ! what niceness of taste — what a 
reach of imagination ! and who can look, 
without admiration, on what these have ef- 
fected, even in the ruder states of society 
and among unchristianized heathen ! Even 
there the soul of man shone out. In moral 
and metaphysical science the heathen made 
respectable attainments : In the arts and 
works of imagination they surpassed, per- 
haps, all modern excellence. Who can read 
their subtle disquisitions — examine their ar- 
chitecture and statuary — -drink in the living 
soul of their poetry, or thrill with the moral 
sentiment of their speaking canvass, and not 
do homage to the elevation of human intel- 
lect ! 

But these are among the lower capacities 
of the immaterial man. It must be remem- 
bered, now, that he is a moral being ; and it 
is by his moral capacities, principally, that 
his worth is to be estimated. 

By these, man takes hold, in this world, of 
all his substantial enjoyment : by these 
alone, he has any true conceptions of God, 



274 



LECTURE Xir. 



and thus finds them constituting the link by 
which heaven and earth are united : by 
theseiie learns to spurn low and defiling pur- 
suits : by these he is prompted to long for 
immortality — and by these he is capacitated 
for such a state to their continual expansion 
through exercise and enjoyment. 

Let us look at this last of man's moral fac- 
ulties alone, and see if it does not stamp un* 
speakable worth on the possessor. Marrs- 
faculties of moral enjoyment are evidently 
progressive here, and we may safely infer* 
that they eyer will be. What a thought ! 
through everlnatmg ages he will be ascen- 
ding ! The time will come when he will have 
left the present attainments of cherubim 
and seraphim behind him — and still stretch- 
ing onward towards the infinite God, it will 
yet be— since there is an eternity for the 
achievement— it will yet be, that the now 
feeblest saint on earth, will know more and 
enjoy more of God than all of these proper- 
ties we have yet conceived, as belonging to 
God himself. 

Do not these powers and capacities of the 
soul assign it an exalted grade of excel- 
lence ? They do not indeed necessarily 
stand connected with holiness : they are fac~ 
ulties : and if, in what these faculties have 



LECTURE XIV. 



275 



effected short of grace, we seem to see an 
emanation ol eternal intelligence— angels in 
ruin— what impressions shall we take of 
their worth, when rekindled with moral ren- 
ovation ! Ah, it is then that the soul blazes 
A\ith original lustre : it is when we see its 
actings towards God and immortality, that we 
exclaim with the poet : 

" The soul of man was made to walk the skie-.*' 

And with another — that 

* Tired of earth and this diurnal sphere, 
44 She springs aloft, pursues the flying storm ; 
44 Or yok'd with lightnings and the northern blast. 
44 Sweeps the long tract of day." 

3. It is on the ground of this superiority 
of rational man, as it appears to me, that all 
other beings, at least in our world, are subser- 
vient to him. " Thou hast put (says the 
Psalmist) all things under his feet." (Ps. 
viii. 6.^ We know this to be fact. Mat- 
ter, we have seen, to be altogether inferior 
to the soul : animal life is a distinct pro- 
perty, altogether dependent on it ; the 
brute and physical creation, with all their 
strength and unwieldliness, are controlled 
by the rational powers of man. This speaks 
much for the estimation in which man is 
held by that Being, who has put all things 



27$ 



LECTURE XIV, 



under him ; but as we shall have occasion 
to speak of this subject again, we pass it 
at present for another consideration, 

4, Mans soul is immortal. Not indepen- 
dently or necessarily immortal, for this im- 
mortality belongs only to God. (See 1 Timo- 
thy i. 17.) Nor yet, that souls existed from 
eternity, since there can be but one such Be- 
ing, who is the origin of all others ; but on- 
ly that the soul shall endure forever, having 
once commenced existence, and that by the 
sustaining power of God, who has given tes- 
timony, both in his word and in the faculties 
of the soul itself, that he intends it such a 
duration. 

The proofs most relied on from the na- 
ture of the soul, are its immaterality and activ- 
ity : its growing capacities, and its strong de- 
sire for immortality. These, taken in con- 
nexion with the benevolence of God, and 
the wisdom which seems to have made noth- 
ing without an adequate object, are certainly 
strong presumptive arguments for the soul's 
immortality. But in as much as they do not 
leave us perfectly assured on this important 
point, the scriptures add their testimony, and 
this is explicit. It is sufficient, for the pres- 
ent, to refer to two or three passages, in or- 



LECTURE XIV. 



277 



der to show that neither the souls of the 
righteous or the wicked, will ever cease to 
be. " Whosoever liveth and believeth in 
me shall never die." (John xi. 26.) " These 
shall go away into everlasting punishment ; 
but the righteous into life eternal." (Math, 
xxv. 46.) " Where their worm dieth not, 
and the fire is not quenched." (Mark ix. 48.) 

The soul of every rational being, then, is 
immortal. And now, w T hat inestimable val- 
ue does this property alone import ? If that 
eternity is to be made wretched by a volun- 
tary disobedience, duty is pressed by all this 
incalculable amount of suffering. If happy, 
and if happiness be desirable, then the long- 
er that happiness, the higher the blessing 
which is proffered. But the soul is immor- 
tal : while matter and motion cease, it en- 
dures : while all else wastes and disappears, 
this progresses by rising : and when the sun 
shall be uncentered, and the wide universe 
in ashes, high and calm above the ruin, the 
heaven-born soul shall stretch its never en- 
ding, never tiring flight towards God, 

Such is the soul : its history, its capaci- 
ties, its order in creation, and its destination, 
are before us ; and from these we may infer 
its value. It is a property for which the 
whole world would be too cheap a barter : 

24 



278 , LECTURE XIV. 



angels delight to claim relationship to the 
soul ; and the vast building of the universe is 
not splendid or durable enough to be its hab- 
itation. He who possesses a soul, be it the 
soul of a Hindoo or Hottentot, may look up 
on the zodiac and say — " ye glittering con- 
stellations, I cannot settle in so low a region.' 5 
Such is the soul ; but we have not yet given 
the principal estimate of its worth. Suppose, 
then, ray brethren, that such a soul were in 
danger : some powerful enemy has plotted 
its ruin : some fatal poison has been fixed in 
its texture, or some dreadful forfeiture incur- 
red, which threatens its eternal perdition. 
What exertions may we suppose, could, with 
propriety, be made in its behalf? what sac- 
rifices would be incurred, and ransoms offer- 
ed to effect its deliverance ? But such, my 
brethren, has been the actual occurrence. 
This soul — -this priceless soul, was in 
jeopardy — and it has been redeemed : — re- 
deemed, " not with silver and gold," but with 
the precious blood of the Son of God. 

Having, therefore, looked at the worth of 
the soul, as one point in this great subject, 
let us now, 

II. Take a more general view of redemp- 
tion itself. " The redemption of the 
soul is precious." The case thus presents 



LECTURE XIV. 



279 



itself. Millions of these souls, upon the 
least of which no adequate value can be set 
by us — are regarded as in a fallen, condemn- 
ed, and perishing state before God. The 
question may be considered as agitated, res- 
pecting their possible deliverance. Who 
shall effect it ? It is clearly seen, that an in- 
finite being is required for this work, and 
ho*v could it .be conceived by any thing 
less than God's wisdom,, that an infinite being 
should be willing, or could — were there 
a will for it — so attach himself to the 
interests and the nature of fallen .man, as 
to occupy his place in law and justice, and 
effect his redemption ? But happily for us, 
infinite wisdom and infinite benevolence were 
present to solve this mighty difficulty. The 
Son of God rises from his throne to espouse 
the wretched cause of man : he seals, at 
that moment, a solemn engagement to be- 
come a surety for sinners : he covenants to 
do all that law and justice require to be done : 
he remains mindful of his word through 
all the intervening ages of eternity : he 
commences, in some measure, this mediatori- 
al service, so soon as man is created — and in 
the fulness of the time appointed, enters in- 
to a state of perfect humanity for executing 
this high engagement, by obedience, and 
suffering, and death. 



280 



LECTURE XIY. 



We read that Christ " was seen of an- 
gels." These exalted beings watched all 
the steps of his wonderous work — and they 
saw him at the temple, where he began to vin- 
dicate his heavenly wisdom — at Nazareth, 
where he set a perfect example of filial obe- 
dience — at Jordan, submitting to all the re- 
quirements of the Jewish ritual — in the syn- 
agogue, speaking as never man spake — and 
at the tomb of Lazarus, manifesting himself 
" the resurrection and the life :" — in Getk- 
semane th?y saw him too, sweating " great 
drops of blood," under the burden of the 
world's atonement — on the cross, where he 
cried, " it is finished," and tore the hand wri- 
ting which he had signed in our behalf, to 
fragments, and in his triumphant ascent from 
the tomb of Joseph, when he " led captivity 
captive, and gave gifts unto men." The an- 
gels saw all this, and they cried as they at- 
tended him back to his throne, we see it ! we 
see it ! " there is redemption thro' bis blood." 

Thus was laid the meritorious foundation 
for the soul's redemption. Let us now con- 
template the greatness of this work, from 
several additional considerations. And 

1 . It makes great discoveries of the perfections 
of God. Through what he has revealed of 
himself in the works of redemption, we have 
learned more of the wisdom and benevo- 



LECTURE XIV. 



281 



lenceof God, than we could ever have con- 
ceived without this exhibition ; as well as to 
see more clearly, the rigid character of jus- 
tice and the dreadful nature of sin. 

But particularly have we seen, in this 
work of redemption, new occasions to ad- 
mire the mysterious relations of the Trinity, 
and new beauties in the adorable Son of 
God. This then, is, 

2. A second consideration to give value 
to redemption — the high and glorious character 
of its immediate author. We shall say but lit- 
tle at present, on a subject which we have 
repeatedly discussed ; but we may remind 
you, brethren, that this is the method by 
which the apostle gives value to the subject 
of redemption. He tells us that its immedi- 
ate author is the Son of God, and he labours 
through the whole first chapter of Hebrews, 
to give exaltation to his character. You are 
there told, in consequence, that he is " the 
heir of all things"-~that he is " better than 
the angels" — that he " made the worlds" — 
that he is an object of 44 worship" — that his 
44 throne" of dominion is 44 righteous and for- 
ever" — and that he is 44 God," and immutable, 
while the heavens are frail and perishing ! 

These attributes, then, and many more 
we might now assign to the author of re- 



282 



LECTURE XIV, 



demption, and then, inferring the relation of 
this authorship upon the work itself, we 
might exclaim with Paul, " How shall we 
escape, if we neglect so great a salvation." 
(Ch. ii. 3.) 

3. Redemption may be contemplated in 
its relation to the present happiness of man, and 
the preservation of the world. The only sub- 
stantial happiness, as individuals, is that 
which flows from religion ; nor is it a small, 
any more than a visionary happiness, for a 
man to feel that he is saved from hell and a 
candidate for heaven — to have a conscious 
pardon of sin already, and to hold inter- 
course with the highest and best of Beings, 
as a reconciled Father. But we pass from 
this at present. What is it but religion, 
my friends, that comforts a man in the day of 
sorrow ? Come to the poor, afflicted, sick or 
bereaved child of woe, with any other cup of 
consolation, and see if he will not dash it 
away from his lips: He will tell you as one 
of the friends of the Heathen Philosopher* 
told him, when he had laboured to comfort 
the afflicted man under a heavy bereavement; 
" I want something more— I want something 
different" Religion alone can sustain the af- 
flicted : By all the rational, every other so- 
lace is put aside as useless* 



LECTURE XIV. 



283 



And it is only religion which sustains the 
peace and order of society : by this alone, 
and only in that degree, that it is fostered and 
prevails, can laws be administered — gov- 
ernment supported — crimes suppressed, or 
human intercourse be regulated. Learn- 
ing, manners, the social virtues and the 
charities of life have no other security : 
nay, the very material world, and all 
worlds, are probably suspended on this con- 
dition. 

It is plainly taught in scripture, that for 
the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, 
" all things were created, that are in heav- 
en, and that are in earth." They are all 
subservient to this great end ; and hold their 
existence only by their relation to it. And 
should we suppose that no other worlds 
but this were inhabited by rational beings, 
it would not be too much to conclude that 
the vast globes around us, wait on this, be- 
cause here are rational souls, and because 
here the work of redemption was wrought. 

Lastly ; The greatness of this work of 
redemption may be seen, in that of care and 
attention which is given to it among the works of 
providence. Great is the amount of care and 
labour that saves a single soul. After Christ 
has died, the work is not done. The subject. 



28i 



LECTURE XIV. 



from being opposed, is to be made willing to 
accept him : faith must lay her hand on the 
head of the victim : the waters of repen- 
tance must flow from a broken heart : sanc- 
tification is to be carried on against a thou- 
sand obstacles — and death conquered — and 
heaven made sure forever, before redemp- 
tion, in any practical sense, can be consid- 
ered as completed. But millions of souls 
have thus been redeemed already — and we 
ought not to wonder at the amount of la* 
bour, so to speak, which has been bestowed 
on this object. 

For this God revealed himself to man in 
paradise : for this he instituted sacrifices 
and sabbaths : for this he separated a na- 
tion to himself, and gave them laws to gov- 
ern, and types and ceremonies to instruct 
them in the ways of righteousness : for this 
end miracles were wrought, and a Bible giv- 
en — and prophets and martyrs raised up : 
towards a development of the work, of re- 
demption all the movements and changes of 
governments were directed : in this cause 
two mighty worlds have been at war for 
ages— and the advances of heaven or hell 
have alternately blessed the earth, or cover- 
ed it with wretchedness. 



LECTURE XIV. 



285 



The movements towards redemption have 
been universally felt — and even now traces 
of its history are found where their import 
is forgotten. No tribe of men has yet been 
discovered, where some ideas did not ex- 
ist, which were evidently borrowed from rev- 
elation ; and symbols of the fall of man— 
the deluge — of a Trinity, and an incarnation, 
have been detected in their songs and tradi- 
tions, or seen glaring on the grim countenan- 
ces of their idols. 

These works of providence record a great 
event. They present all worlds and all 
events in the attitude of pointing to one cen- 
tre; and, like the star of Bethlehem, while 
they settle over one place, they seem to ac- 
knowledge that the object which lies there 
is worthy of all their worship. 

But the work of redemption is not yet 
consummated. Would we enter into the esti- 
mation of its highest value, we must follow 
its triumphs down the track of time, to the 
the millenium, and to the resurrection of the 
just. Oh for Isaiah's spirit, or the elevated 
height where Moses stood to contemplate 
this glorious consummation I Oh. to take one 
clear and believing glance across the vale of 
wintry years, and to see redemption's re- 
creating triumph I Great God ! what a vis^ 



236 



LECTURE XIV. 



ion of blessedness do I see ! The whole 
earth is quiet and at rest : light has dissipa- 
ted every cloud of prejudice and passion, 
and there is no more war : religion, pure and 
undefiled, has melted the kindred nations 
and sectaries together — and the church is 
one : the poor pagans are visited— and the 
cry of blood, and blasphemy, and agony, has 
ceased through all their millions : the curse 
is lifted from the earth : and the wilderness 
and the rock blossom — the memphitic 
swamp is a garden — and Zaharah bubbles 
with pools of water ! " Weary, worn out 
tempests" die away : the prince of the pow- 
er of the air is dethroned : sinners, from 
earth's remotest ends, come bending to 
Christ : Judah's scattered sons are remem- 
bered in mercy : the prodigal children of Is- 
lam return to iheir father's house : the earth's 
countless tribes are congregating under a 
heaven of be nding benificence, to bless the 
common Creator ! 

I see ail this : I see it for a thousand years : 
But I follow the world to its last agonies : I 
trace the children of redemption through the 
gulf of death and the shock of a ruined 
world. Lo ! I see them rising from its ruins, 
triumphant over the grave, and shining 
through the smoky columns of the last day ! I. 



LECTURE XIV. 



287 



behold ten thousand and ten thousand glori- 
ous bodies presented to their Lord — entering 
heaven — commencing their everlasting march 
of glory : and then, and not till then, I hear 
the shout go up — the shout that never smote 
heaven's canopy before — Redemption is com- 
pleted ! 

A few remarks of direct application will 
close what we have further to say on this 
subject. And 

1. Let us learn to respect ourselves. The 
soul is incalculably the better part of 
man ; and estimated by this standard, we 
cannot respect ourselves too highly. Oh, is 
it not too much, hearers, that a being of ethe- 
rial origin and nature — to whom all w orlds 
do reverence — and for whom Christ died— 
should debase and content itself upon low 
pursuits — upon the fodder of sense, and the 
filth of debauch ! Do justice to your na- 
tures, brethren : listen to the remonstrances 
of the soul : respect yourselves, and turn 
away from vice and gross indulgence, as in- 
finitely beneath you. 

2. Is the soul thus exalted ? is redemp- 
tion thus valuable ? then lei us show some cor- 
responding care for its welfare. My hearers, 
are we doing this ? are we giving that atten- 
tion to this great subject which its impor- 

1 



288 



LECTURE XIV. 



tance demands ? are there not some who 
give less attention to the souPs redemption 
than is given to almost every other subject ? 
I fear there are — I am distressed with the 
apprehension, that this neglect will continue, 
and they will loose their souls forever ! 
Loose their souls ! But oh, what a loss will 
this he ! what act of treason, of oppression, 
of murder or cruelty, could equal it ? How 
will a man answer it to God ? what will he 
say when that Being demands of him an ac- 
count of his soul ? 4 I committed it to thee, 
(it would be said,) for thy safe keeping : you 
knew something of its origin and nature : 
you heard what I had done for it : its redemp- 
tion was precious, and everlasting blessedness 
was reserved as its portion, had you but 
been found faithful. And have you lost it after 
all, sinner ? is it gone, gone beyond the reach 
of recovery, to groan and blaspheme with 
devils forever ?' Oh, what criminalitv can 
match this ! what weight or duration of pun- 
ishment shall pay the penalty of neglecting 
the soul's redemption ! 

You must awake to this great subject, sin- 
ners : you must believe that your souls are 
in danger — and you must conceive of your 
guilt in neglecting them, or they will never 
be saved 



LECTURE XIV. 



283 



And so must we awake* christians, or 
wear the brand of alarming inconsistency. 
We cannot have looked at the value of re- 
demption without feeling that we do nothing, 
almost nothing, correspondent to this great 
subject. Permit me to say, it is the object 
of the present remarks, to elevate our minds, 
if possible, to a higher standard of duty s 
and permit me to tell those especially for 
whom these lectures have been prepared, 
that their hope and highest reward will be 
lost, if they do not help you to grow in 
grace and the knowledge of the high myste- 
ries of redemption. 

What, then, are our attainments, and 
what are we doing that corresponds with 
the dignity of this high subject ? Do we 
venerate our souls as we ought ? do we 
love to follow after divine knowledge ? do 
we look high enough for the seat of our eter- 
nal dwelling ? do we cultivate, as we might, 
our friendship with angels ? do we pant af- 
ter the full image of God ? do we prize 
the cause of religion above every other 
cause ? and do we labour, and pray, and 
make sacrifices, to carry its destined influ- 
ence over the whole world ? 

Oh for more of the spirit of Martyn and 

Brainerd, in this great cause ! Oh for more 

25 



290 



LECTURE XIV. 



comrnunion with Paul and with Jesus Christ? 
in the continual and vehement desire for 
universal redemption ! 

My brethren, the time is short that we 
can labour in this great work — and yet much 
remains to be done — much in the world — 
much in the church— much in our own souls, 
I cannot be w illing, for myself, to leave all 
this work to others ; and one more effort, in 
which I hoped to do good, is now finished 
and before you. Amen. 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS* 



CHRIST THE CONQUEROR OF DEATH, AND TIBET 
FRIEND IN JUDGMENT. 



TO THE PATRONS OF THIS WORK, 



Unwilling as the author is to trouble the reader 
with his private history, he deems it proper to state 
the circumstances in which the following additional 
discourses were finished. When the impression had 
proceeded thus far, the printer, who w r as also publish- 
er, gave notice that additional matter was wanting ; 
not on the ground of an actual deficiency in the size 
of the work, (the whole number of lectures origin- 
ally proposed, having been only twelve) but from a 
miscalculation as to the probable number of pages* 
He was unwilling to disappoint his subscribers, even 
by a nominal deficiency. 

But this notice reached the author at a time of un- 
usual family affliction. His companion was m the 
last stages of a consumption, and himself already con- 
fined for several weeks with an inflammation of the 
eyes. Thus situated, and within a few days after the 
severest of all earthly bereavements, by the help of 
an amenuensis, he has undertaken to revise and pre- 
pare the discourses in question* He felt that some 

25* 



294 



TO THE READER. 



thing of more than ordinary application would be 
requisite suitably to finish the preceding lectures : that 
allowances would be made for circumstances so dis- 
advantageous — and that some views taken at such an 
hour, on a plain but important subject, might be 
worth preserving* 



I 



SERMON I< 



HEBREWS ix. 27. 

%t is appointed unto all men once to die ; but cifief 
this the judgment* 

The doom pronounced upon man for his 
first act of disobedience, included all kinds 
of death. The sentence may be considered 
as running thus : Thou shalt die in body ; 
thou shalt die as to all holiness in character 
and thou shalt die by a just and eternal 
condemnation. 

Now, since the apostle is here making a 
comparison of the " once offering of Christ," 
and his coming to glorify his saints, with 
the death and judgment procured by the 
sin of man, it is very possible that death, 
in its widest sense, is intended in our text* 
Natural death, however, and the judgment 
which follows, are not only the direct con- 
sequences of this early denunciation, but 



296 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



do, in some sense, comprise the whole oi 
its meaning, as now explained. We may, 
therefore, without unfaithfulness to the text* 
confine ourselves, at present* to the two 
points of declaration here contained^ 
I T tint all men do certainly die : and 
IL That after this they pass to judgment 
I. The certainty of death. We do not, 
indeed, need convincing of this. As a mat- 
ter of fact, it is admitted at once ; but is not 
this one among the many cases where we 
have reason to think that men assent to a 
proposition, without truly believing it ? 
Have living men any of that persuasive trust 
in regard to this truth, which is essential in 
all cases to real faith ? It is believed not ; and 
we think there is the more need of frequent- 
ly and forcibly urging this truth, from the 
consideration that men do not love to think 
of death, and for the most part, do not, un- 
less it is obtruded upon them. 

Let us attempt to aid our weak convictions 
on this subject, therefore— not by formal de- 
monstrations of the certainty of death, but 
by solemn representation, bringing it as near 
as possible. 

Look around you, then, and behold the 
symptoms and analogies of death. Every ob- 
ject, with which we have hitherto become 



SERMON I. 



297 



acquainted, has more or less of these appear- 
ances attached to it. Every thing in the veg-» T 
etabie world dies yearly : the grass blossoms, 
and is cut down by the mowers scythe : our 
crops share the same destiny: and even the 
stately trees of the forest cast their annual 
verdure, and their lofty trunks are mar- 
red by violence, or wasting away with some 
gradual consumption. You behold the mineral 
kingdom exhibiting the same appearance ; 
ores and mines are gradually yielding to the 
consumptions of man : animals are subject 
to disease, and destroy one another : moun- 
tains are running down into the vallies : the 
rivers of antiquity are already dried up ; and 
the very planetary system, by a few centuries 
of observation, is found to be drawing near- 
er together, and indicates a time when the 
grand machine must be wound up. 

The works of art are still more unable to 
resist the progress of decay. A man may 
write a splendid history of a splendid event, 
but millions of such volumes are already ex- 
tinct and forgotten ; he may build a tomb as 
large as the pyramids over his ashes — but 
* tombs are mortal the all destroying hand 
of time scatters the sculptured marble om 
the wind, 



298 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS, 



From all these analogies, then, we might 
expect that man was mortal, had no decree 
announced it : he might live a little longer, 
perhaps, and being among the higher order 
of God's works, it w r ould perhaps be expect- 
ed that he should ; but die he must. Every 
analogy, every symptom in other works, 
would tell him that sooner or later he must 
go dow n, with the rest of created objects, to 
th€ dust ! Behold, 

2. The varied instrumentality of death — the 
means which surround us for effecting this 
event. It takes but little to destroy hu- 
man life ; and yet the world is full of in- 
struments for effecting this destruction. The 
soul and body are united by a thread, 
which the smallest incident might sever ; and 
yet there seem to stand around us giants, 
with battle axes, as if impatient of a possi- 
bility that we should escape. Millions of 
poisonous insects fly in the air, and crawl in 
the valley : suffocating vapours exhale from 
woods, and rivers, and swamps : the slight- 
est variation in the proportions of the gasses 
of which our atmosphere is composed, w ould 
instantly destroy us : our bodies are expos- 
ed to about eleven hundred specifick diseases 
■ — any one of which might be fatal : accidents 
hy drowning — by fire — by the stroke of ani- 



SERMON I. 



299 



mals — the falling of timber — and innumera- 
ble other casualties, continually beset us. 
Lightnings shoot their fiery arrows from the 
clouds — earthquakes rock our habitations in- 
to dust — and war, and treason, hurl men in 
millions against the bosoms of their fellow 
men, to effect this emulous work of destruc- 
tion. Surrounded with such an instrumen- 
tality, how can we escape ? In sight of in- 
numerable foes of life, in every stage and 
attitude of our existence, who does not know 
that he must die ? These seem to me, to 
place us in an open field of continual expos- 
ure ; they strip our bosoms bare of defence f 
and stand around us, brandishing their na- 
ked weapons at the mark. 

But observe again, that the work of death is 
actually going on : it is not from analogy — not 
from exposure, that we are left to infer our 
mortality — we see the actual process. Oh 
yes, and from the day in which the earth 
drank the blood of the first martyr, slain by 
a brother's hand, there has not been a mo- 
ment's interval ! From long before the days 
of the flood, or so soon as the earth had be- 
come as populous as it now Is, there has 
been going into the eternal worlds some 
trembling newly dismissed spirit, at the full 
rate of one for every second of time, The 



300 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



work goes on ; and we see them now falling 
on our right hand and on our left, by all the 
nameless modes of destruction to which we 
have alluded. The work goes on : and I see 
the flitted spirits gathering in dusky bands 
on the further shores of Jordan, more nu- 
merous than the driven leaves of autumn or 
the populous armies of birds and insects^ 
travelling with the season, to more propi- 
tious climes. The work goes on : and I see 
age sinking in its decrepitude ; manhood in its 
strength ; youth in its bloom ; and infancy in 
its loveliness— withered, crushed, and torn 
away from the bleeding heart-strings of the 
living. The work goes on ; and over all this 
work of mighty ruin, I see death the grim 
monarch, presiding as a director. He sits in 
retired and awful silence, giving an account 
of none of his doings — his feet are on a pros* 
trate mortal — his sceptre is a shroud— his 
ten thousand ministers, even famine, pesti- 
lence and vice, stand waiting around, and as 
he turns his withering eye over the fair fields 
of creation, he strews them with the carcas- 
es of all the living ! 

The work is going on : and now while I 
speak, a gasping mortal has closed his 
breath ; and now r another soul has fled ; and 
now another, and another, and another, gone 



SERMON I. 



301 



t>eyond a returnless gulf; made his last voy- 
age, and entered eternity with all the tre- 
mendous responsibilities of a final character 
upon his head ! And is not this enough to 
make us realize the truth of our text ? Do 
we not see all men die, and is not such a 
spectacle most solemnly affecting ? 

Nor is this all : In taking such a view of 
death, it would be well to reflect on the nature 
and consequences of death. It is not a trifling 
event. Men may affect to despise death, 
while at an imagined distance, and some 
have rushed madly into it, in the heats of am- 
bition or private revenge ; but it is a great 
thing to die, if you consider only the present 
aspects of death. What, is it a trifling evil 
for soul and body to be separated ? Ask 
the dying duelist or the wounded warrior. 
They laughed or blasphemed, while rushing 
into danger : but oh, the scene is now chan- 
ged ; and when the heart's blood is flowing, 
and when the death shot has been probed 
and pronounced to be mortal, they groan as 
deeply, and look as anxiously as any others- 
Night gathers as dark a solitude on their 
sweating foreheads ; they struggle deep and 
awfully, until their heart strings break, and 
their trembling, uncalled spirit flies, with all 

its bloody stains to judgment ! No ; death 

26 



302 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



is not a trifling evil, even in those aspects 
which it has already been exhibited. How 
it tears up old friendships and dissolves the 
tender ties of social relation ! How it breaks 
down every high-built scheme of earthly 
o;ood : How it sickens the heart of the wid- 
ow, the parent, the orphan and the brother; 
and oh, how it mars the pampered frame of 
man, laying it low and nerveless in the dust, 
and reducing all that is excellent in God's 
handy work on earth to rottenness and de- 
formity, too vile to be contemplated. Oh, 
no ; I do not wonder that death is the king 
of terrors, in itself considered : I do not won- 
der if even the saint sometimes looks back 
from under the dim curtain that is shutting 
him from the world, " with longing, lingering 
looks behind." 

But take one view more : It must increase 
our sensible apprehensions of death, if we 
can consider ourselves as eontinually admonish- 
ed of it. So it is of all subjects, which are 
apt to be forgotten by us, that we feel thern 
anew when spoken of; and if the subjects 
are important, we should desire to be often 
reminded of them, for this reason. Some 
have acted on this principle in relation to 
the great events of death. Philip, king of 
Macedon, placed a boy at the door of his 



SERMON L 



303 



bed-chamber, who awoke him each morning 
with this call : 4i Remember, O Philip, thou 
must die."' Others, like Hervey and Young, 
have taken sublime lessons on mortality, by 
walking in grave yards ; and it is known well, 
what force and solemnity those admonitions 
have, which though, for the most part ima- 
ginary, are supposed to come from spirits 
and another world. 

Now, God is actually addressing us on thia 
princ iple. Ail the analogies of death, which 
we see in creation ; all the instruments of it 
which are brandished around us, and all that 
we see of the work as it is actually going 
on, are so many loud voices, solemnly ad- 
dressing us, and telling us we must die. — - 
Nay; a louder voice than this is sounding : 
God's word repeats it with echo after echo : 
" Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou re- 
turn." " Then shall the dust return to the 
earth as it was : and the spirit shall return 
unto God who gave it." 

Nay, " it is appointed unto all men once 
to die." The fact and the circumstances of 
it, are all ordered. " His days are determi- 
ned ; the number of his months are with 
thee; thou hast appointed his bounds that 
he cannot pass." And is there not soaie- 
thiDg most impressive in this, my brethren ? 



301 ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



God appoints the day of our death, and the 
very instrument that shall effect He pre- 
sides over the destinies of millions, all recei- 
ving, moment after moment, the shafts which 
he directs to effect their overthrow. He an- 
nounces this state of danger to his creatures, 
and makes use of his word and providence, 
to convey the warning. Our dying friends 
and families tell us the awful lesson, when 
they can speak no longer. We read it in 
every sable garment that moves along the 
street — we see it in every trickling tear : we 
hear it in the suppressed and bursting sigh : 
it moans through every solitary walk at the- 
hour of night ; and as if an angel preached, 
I hear it now ; f hear it to-day ; remember you 
are mortal— ^ it is appointed unto all men once to 
die!" 

II. And thus far of death : Let us now at- 
tend to something which is here connected 
w ith death, and of a still more solemn char- 
acter j * but after this the judgment " There 
certainly will be such an event. " God will bring 
every work into judgment, (says the wise 
man,) with every secret thought, whether it 
be good or evil." " We must all stand before 
the judgment seat of Christ" says Paul ; " there- 
fore, judge nothing before the time, until the 
Lord come, who will, both bring, to light the 



I 



SERMON L 



30b 



hidden things of darkness, and will make 
manifest the counsels of the hearts." And 
since this decision on human character will 
be the same at death as it will in the day of 
general judgment, the whole is frequently 
spoken of as one judgment in scripture : it is 
^judgment, and it is eternal judgment. 

There will not be a succession of judg- 
ments : there will be no progressive im- 
provements and correspondent approbations 
of the characters of men, after death : there 
will be one judgment, and that, as to its de- 
cisions, will be final. But 

2. The time of this event: It wilhbe subse- 
quent to death. " It is appointed unto all men 
once to die, and after this the judgment." 

This declaration is the same in doctrine r 
as that which says, that at the end of the 
world, Christ shall send forth his angels and 
they shall gather out of his kingdom all 
things which offend, and them which do ini- 
quity, and shall cast them into a furnace of 
fire; "then shall the righteous shine as the 
sun in the kingdom of their Father" — of an- 
other, which says : " for the hour is coming, 
in the which all that are in the graves shalL 
hear his voice, and shall eome forth y they 
that have done good, unto the resurrection 
$ life ;~ and they that have done evil, untor 
26* 



306 ' ADDITIONAL SERMONS* 



the resurrection of damnation" — and of still 
another, in which, after the last trumpet and 
the resurrection of thedead^ the wicked are rep- 
resented as being cast into hell and the right- 
eous caught up to be ever with the Lord. These 
are all representations which refer to some- 
thing after death, and forever forbid the sup- 
position that anything like a definitive judg- 
ment is now going on. Solemnly are we as- 
sured then of such an event : a judgment 
after death — a judgment which is one, and 
decisive. 

Let us look then at the awful transac- 
tion. Not now in its circumstances of a sub- 
limity and grandeur — not to falling stars, to 
opening graves, and a burning world ; but 
that for which, could we do it justice, we 
should feel more deeply interested in this 
great transaction. 

The prominent idea of judgment, is an ex- 
amination and decision upon character. Lei 
us look at this : after death we mast be tried be- 
fore God. There is something solemnly in- 
teresting in the spectacle of a capital trial, 
as it is often witnessed in our courts of jus* 

tice. The formal order of the proceeding 

the judge on the bench — the jury in their 
boxes — the witnesses — the advocates — the 
anxious prisoner^ and the crowding specta- 



SERMON L 



307 



tors, each with studious exactness, display- 
ing the feelings and the functions of their 
respective conditions : the important conse- 
quence of facts developed, and above all, 
the vast stake at issue, as respects the des- 
tinies of the individual, all combine to give 
a trembling interest and solemnity to this 
transaction. 

Similar to this then, but infinitely more 
important, will the event be, when we shall 
stand before God in judgment : w 7 e shall see 
a judge on the throne, who is all glorious in 
dignity, and who cannot be deceived in one 
feature of our character. The judgment 
hall will be the vast region of empty air: 
we shall see angels as spectators — the de- 
vils for our wicked and malignant ac- 
cusers — and no advocate or intercessor to 
espouse our cause, unless we had previously 
secured one in the great Redemer of sin- 
ners. What shall we then plead ? shall we 
say not guilty ! shall we say, in the name of 
God. not guilty ! Ah ! here is the most 
overwhelming peculiarity in the trial : we 
are guilty, and the judge knows it. The 
evidence too is fully before him : his books 
contain a full record of our character : men 
and angels are ready to testify that it is just 
as they have stated j and when these facts 



308 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



have been developed, for the sake of glorify- 
ing God, and shutting every mouth in silent 
confession, the sentence will go forth, which 
fixes our fate forever I Guilty, says the aw- 
ful Judge upon the throne ! Guilty, repeat 
the holy angels in concert ! Guilty, resounds 
from the consenting multitude of countless 
spectators I and guilty, shout the fiends in 
triumph ! guilty, guilty, justly tried and just- 
ly condemned to destruction ! 

I will pursue this allegory no further : the 
truth is certain, my friends, and needs no 
borrowed ornament. We shall all be tried 
after death, before the judgment seat of 
Christ. All truth will then come out, and all 
our characters will appear as they are. Oh 
what disappointments will then be felt ! Oh 
what discoveries will surprise us ! Confident 
nominal christians will be seen falling short; 
of heaven I characters that were consider-, 
ed pious, and eminently so, by others, will 
be found to have been deceivers; and dark 
and intriguing contemners of all righteous- 
ness, will be dragged into discovery, with a 
blackness which was not even imagined oe 
conceived to be possible. We do notknow^ 
my friends, we do not yet know the depths 
of wickedness in the human character ; but 
we shall then know and if through grace 



SERMON I. 



309 



we should escape ourselves, what will be 
our astonishment at the developments of 
this trial ! We shall then see drunkenness, 
debauchery, lying, profanity, and injustice, 
standing forth with inconceivable deformity; 
but I verily believe these will not be among 
the worst of sins, which will be exposed. 
We may see secret malice — -scornful envy — 
mocking irreligion— slander and persecution, 
marked with darker shades ; and unbelief* 
and opposition to God, by reason of their 
being against such a character, will be 
written in stains still deeper, and hear the 
thunder of a louder condemnation. Such a 
trial is certainly to be instituted ; and when 
we think, what abundant materials for it are 
contained in our world, it is enough to make 
us all tremble. 

Do we not, then, permit me to ask, as the 
first inference from this representation — do 
we not all need an advocate to conduct our 
cause in this trial ? It is not our principal 
business, at present, to speak of such an ad- 
vocate — something too extensive for a mere 
inference is said of him in the verses follow- 
ing our text ; and we shall hereafter give 
a particular attention to this part of our 
subject. But you will never see the 
glories of that Being until you see some- 
thing else first ; and it seems to. be the 



310 



ADDITIONAL SERJIOXS. 



object of this text to show our need of him. — 
Oh, can you not see that necessity in the 
thought of going to judgment! Conceive of 
yourself, even now, as suspended in the emp- 
ty judgment hall of unmeasured space, to be 
tried for eternity ! your trial has been heard 
— your perfect character is discovered — and 
amidst ten thousand times ten thousand, 
you have heard the cry of guilty, guilty ! and 
felt yourself sinking, through burning worlds 
to hell I Do you not need an advocate ? 
you cannot say a w r ord ; but what would you 
give for a friend now, to say it for you ? Oh 
for an advocate ! oh for an advocate now r t 
and should you see one at that moment^ 
stepping forth, robed with omnipotence, and 
mighty to save ; should you hear his voice, 
crying, 44 hold, till 1 plead for that sinner ! 
wait, and 1 will blanch his cause whiter 
than snow or wool." O, would it not be as 
the voice of life to your soul — breaking 
through the shadows of death ? 

There is such an advocate, hearers, but he 
will not appear as your friend, unless you 
engage him during life, 

Permit me to ask one more question them 
and after that, if possible, 1 will bring this 
subject, for the present, to a close, 



SERMON I. 



311 



What are you doing, and ivhat are ive all 
doing to prepare for this day of trial ? It is 
truly affecting to see the manner in 
which most men treat the great concern 
of death and judgment ; and I fear I may 
not be able to speak of this practical bear- 
ing of our subject with becoming modera- 
tion. We know we must all die ; and after 
death there is to be a trial of our characters 
for eternity. We hear God continually an- 
nouncing the certainty of death : we see it 
in every thing : we feel it : we know it is 
an awful thing to die ; and yet we cannot, 
or will not, give the thought scarce sufficient 
influence to make us honest in our dealings 
with God. Profligates and scoffers laugh at 
death — drunkards and sensualists forget it 
— hypocrites give it no practical influence — 
and a thousand others, who are esteemed 
respectable believers in the gospel, treat the 
great subject of preparing for their latter 
end, as if it were a mere human and com- 
paratively trifling arrangement. One talks 
of religion when he is sick, and expects to 
die ; but gives up his preparations so soon 
as he recovers, for fear they will interfere 
with other pursuits : another, who has neg- 
lected religion all his days, imagines some 
trifling impression from a dream, or nervous 



312 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



affection, makes all safe when lie is suppos- 
ed to be dying ; but gives up even this, if he 
happen to be restored, as if anxious to con- 
vince the world that he was not too seri- 
rious : and another can die with malice 
in his heart, towards his neighbour, or he 
puts off a reconcilation to the latest hour, 
that if he should be spared, he might still re- 
tain the privilege of being at enmity. 

Now, there is something tremenduously in- 
consistent in all this : it is treating God as if 
lie could be tricked and mocked with impu- 
nity: it is in entire forgetfulness of all his 
threatnings against delay : it is deceiving 
ourselves : it is outraging and insulting the 
terms upon which salvation is offered. In- 
stead of preparing for death, in this way, 
we are actually making ourselves the mock- 
ery of wiser spirits than ourselves : we are 
just furnishing that full finish of character, 
which will render our exposure so over- 
whelming. 

But I will not indulge these just ac- 
Criminations. I remember that these in- 
consistent sinners are dying sinners— and 
that is enough to disarm all censure. Oh, 
it is appointed unto all men once to die. 
What a scene of weeping, and groaning, and 
desolating bereavements have I witnessed 
already ! what unknown trials may be still 



SERMON L 



313 



before me ! If I live some few years, I shall 
probably follow the greater part of this con- 
gregation to the grave ! I shall meet my fath- 
ers and mothers no more at the table of the 
Lord ! I shall miss most of those dear youth 
with whose hopeful conversion God has 
sweetened the early trials of my pastoral 
care — I shall hear the dying groans and 
close the eyes of many of those very sin- 
ners, whom 1 am now attempting, perhaps 
in vain, to bring to a sense of their condi- 
tion ! Oh no ; I cannot feel censorious ; I 
am travelling w r ith them to death and judg- 
ment, and I could rather weep ! Amen, 



27 



SERMON II. 



HEBREWS ix. 28. 

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many : 
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the 
second time without sin, unto salvation. 

From the view we have lately taken of 
death and judgment, we inferred our need of 
a Saviour : we saw a vast difference between 
the creature's competency and the atone- 
ments which seemed to be required for 
meeting these events. We saw a terror 
flashing from the one, and a gloom hanging 
over the other ; for which we have not yet, 
in this discussion, found an adequate re- 
lief. Let us see if we cannot now find that 
relief in what our text declares of the Re- 
deemer. 

We feel bound to take this method of ex- 
pounding our text, from the example which 



316 



ADDITIONAL SERxMONS. 



is before us. As " it is appointed unto all 
men once to die, (says the passage already 
considered) but after this the judgment 
" So, (adds the passage now before us) Christ 
was once offered to bear the sins of many ; 
and unto them that look for him shall he 
appear the second time without sin unto sal- 
vation." 

The object then, is to show how the once 
offering and future appearance of Christ meet 
the cases of human tvant which we have already 
contemplated, to wit : the evils of deaths and 
of a future judgment. And 

1. How THE EVILS OP DEATH ARE PROVIDED 
FOR. 

There is a twofold sense in which the 
event of death may be considered. In itself 
considered, it is, as we have seen, a great and 
terrible evil ; and as it has been introduced 
for the punishment, in part, of sin, it is a pe- 
nal evil ; that is, it is a judgment, not a 
chastisement. " Because thou hast done 
this, (was the tenor of the sentence) thou 
shalt return unto the ground, whence thou 
wast taken and it has ever been the prin- 
cipal pang in the sufferance of death by 
sinners, that they deserved death ; and were 
enduring it as a penal evil. Other evils 
indeed there are in death, and evils which 



SERMON II. 



317 



are not, even from believers, taken away ; 
but the sense of guilt and its consequen- 
ces, is the principal evil. This it is that 
hangs so deep a gloom around the dying 
bed — moans so dreadful a sound in the ears 
of the expiring sinner — makes the grave 
look so dark and awful to him, and gives the 
destroyer's hand so heavy and strong a 
pressure upon his bosom : " the sting of death 
is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law." 

Now, it is very possible, that this partof the 
evil of death may be taken away. If a meth- 
od could be devised for clearing man of this 
penalty for his transgression ; and if the de- 
mand from the just tribunal could be cancel- 
led, the infliction might certainly be spared, 
and man, though still unworthy of the mer- 
cy, escape the evil in question. But such a 
method was devised, as our text suggests, 
and it has been carried into perfect execu- 
tion. " Christ was once offered to bear the 
sins of many :" So he was offered — once of- 
fered, as if to tell us that the provision was 
expressly intended for this event, and tallied 
with it in being like in manner and time. 
i; So he was once offered to bear the sins of 
many." The word offered, without contro- 
versy, is used in a sacrificial sense ; and the 

import of bearing sin is clearly determined 

27* 



318 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



by its use in the prophet Isaiah, and by the 
apostle Peter : " He bare the sins of many f 
and " himself bare our sins in his own body 
on the tree." The whole sense is then, that 
Christ has suffered the penalty of death in 
our stead. He has suffered the full penalty. 
The essential pains of hell — the horrors of 
eternal death have been endured by him, 
as a surety ; much more then the penal 
evils of natural death, which is what we are 
now principally concerned with. Himself 
bore this : whatever that inconceivable 
thing death is, Christ endured : whatever it 
includes of dissolving pains — whatever of 
surrounding gloom — whatever of present re- 
morse, and horror of conscience — whatever 
of prospective terror and despair, Christ es- 
sentially endured them all ; and as he en- 
dured them, not for himself, but for others, 
and as the severest justice cannot exact 
more than one satisfaction, he successfully 
took them away. Now suppose the dying be- 
liever sees this, and it is of the very nature 
of faith to see it : he believes fully, that 
Christ died for him : he believes in his di- 
vine and human character, and thus that he 
w r as a proper person to die for another : he 
believes that God is willing and bound by 
engagement to accept this satisfaction. 



SEftMON II. 



319 



and thus discovers clearly, that the penalty 
is removed for which death was to be en- 
dured ; and how should not such a view re- 
lieve him from its principal evil ? It chan- 
ges his whole apprehension of death : it 
takes away his sense of condemnation, 
(though it leaves him soft and penitent still, 
as being the most unworthy of sinners ;) for 
how can he be condemned when Christ was 
condemned in his stead ? of course, it stills 
the voice of conscience and remorse — it takes 
off the sharpness of parting sympathies, an- 
ticipating a short interval, till higher and 
better relations shall be formed : it scatters 
that heavy gloom which hangs round the 
grave, for the body is scarce heeded, when 
we are looking by faith over into the land of 
spiritual existences ; and it forever removes 
all fearful and prospective despairing, since 
salvation for another's sake, and that other 
such an one as Christ, and the glories of 
that Christ, seen by faith, as the case now 
supposes, makes heaven, and the resurrec- 
tion, and eternity's enjoyments as sure as if 
they were already inherited. Oh precious 
and glorious faith, which helps the dying 
believer to such discoveries ! Oh more pre- 
cious and more glorious Redeemer, who 
hast, in so efficient a method, removed the 



320 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



penalty of death ! It has power in effect, to 
take even the remaining eviis of death 
away. Death is an evil in itself, even to the 
believer ; for it brings many pains and dis- 
tresses along with it, which are not penal ; 
and which, of course, may still be endured. 

Such are the parting agonies of friends 
and families — bodily pain, and the loss 
to society, which death occasions. But 
the view, which w T e have supposed the 
believer to take, can overcome even these. 
The joys of mind can cause him to be insen- 
sible to bodily pain : his friends and family 
are lost in the enjoyment of his Saviour : his 
cares for the church, for this whole world, 
are swallowed up and provided for in the 
blaze of eternal glory, and a higher and no- 
bler confidence in the providence of God. 

Thus he is every way triumphant ; and 
triumphant in each point through the provis- 
ions of his faith in Christ. What a specta- 
cle ! There he lies, a weak, emaciated, and, 
as the w r orld would think, a gloomy and fail- 
ing victim, sinking under the tyrranick hand 
of death. But oh ! could you see him as he 
is : could you measure the workings of his 
soul, you would see him a glorious being — 
a triumphant conqueror ! He is anticipa- 
ting an immeasurably glorious heaven— he 



SERMON II. 



321 



is crushing the greatest monster that ever 
infested the human race, by the cross of 
Christ— and the language of his exulting 
soul is, " O death where is thy sting ! O 
grave where is thy victory !" 44 Thanks be 
to God, who giveth us the victory through 
our Lord Jesus Christ.' 5 

And thus much of the first case, which 
the grace of our Redeemer is intended to 
meet. Do you now see any more clearly, 
my brethren, that it provides for the evils 
of natural death ? But 

II. There is another want to be provided 
for : 44 after death is the judgment." VVe 
trembled recently, as we tried to anticipate 
our future trial of character at the day of 
judgment ; let us observe, in the second place, 
the provisions which are made for this. 

The language of this part of our text is, 
that a to those who look for him, he shall 
appear a second time without sin unto sal- 
vation."' What it is to look for Christ, w r e 
shall have, for the present, to suppose under- 
stood, and proceed to speak directly of the 
consolations of his presence in judgment. 
44 He shall appear" at the moment of death, 
to receive the departing spirit, and welcome 
it to the bar, as a friend rather than a judge* 
where all trembling with w r onder and anxic- 



322 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



ty, it presents itself before him ! At the ena 
of time, when the world most needs his pres- 
ence — when the church is sorely pressed 
with enemies, and the long tried patience of 
trembling believers is ready to give up all 
for lost — he shall appear, suddenly, glorious- 
ly — revealed in flaming fire, to take ven- 
geance on them that know not God, and for 
u the restitution of all things" to a groaning 
creation. And he shall appear without sin. 
This is to be understood, we think, of him- 
self. In Christ's first appearance, he was 
made sin for us : though in reality he knew 
no sin ; yet for our sakes he became as a 
sinner, and endured poverty, shame, w T ant, 
grief and pain, to the utmost: he was in 
a state of extreme humiliation. In his sec- 
ond appearance it will not be so. His work 
of suffering is finished ; he will appear tri- 
umphant as a king — a Redeemer, without sin, 
or one of the effects or appearances of sin 
upon him ; and the exhibition will be most 
striking by this amazing contrast. 

Nothing more forcibly arrests our atten- 
tion, than a distinguished change of appear- 
ance. How should we be surprised to see 
a king coming out from among a company 
of gaily slaves, and throwing aside his fet- 
ters and filthy garments, to assert ail the 



SERMON II. 



323 



glories of regality ! But thus vrill Christ ap- 
pear. The persecuted sufferer will be seen in 
robes of immaculate dignity, and prove that it 
was only in the place of others that he con- 
sented to wear those despised appearances 
for a season. He of whom it w as sometimes 
doubted, whether he should be regarded as 
a devil or the chief of malefactors, will vin- 
dicate spotless and eternal innocency — he 
who lay guarded in a grave, to the very- 
verge of corruption, will appear the King of 
immortality, sitting on a throne, and judg- 
ing the living and the dead ! What a con- 
trast ! he w ill appear without sin, in a state of 
perfect exaltation. 

And this will be " unto salvation" The 
great object of this appearance will be the 
salvation of his saints. He seems now to be 
qualified for it, and of course he will do, on 
that occasion, whatever is desirable to have 
effected in order to this great work. What 
shall it be ? 

1. It enters into salvation, that the saint 
be publickly justified ; and Christ shall 
do this for him. He shall appear that ad- 
vocate, which we saw, in view of this great 
day, to be so indispensable. Amidst the 
terrors of a falling uni verse — when the ex- 
tinguished sun has left the heavens dark— 



324 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



when the earth is burned up and leaves us 
in suspended air — and when our full known 
crimes have hushed the wide universe into 
trembling silence, he shall be seen coming 
down from the throne itself, to cast the 
mantle of his interposing mercy around us, 
and hold us up from despair. He pleads our 
cause in the eloquence of his own blood : he 
presents his almighty doings as the ground 
of our acceptance : he proclaims us justifi- 
ed and welcome, for his eternal mercy's 
sake, and then covers over the crimson rec- 
ord of our crimes with folds of forgiveness, 
so massy and enduring, that the keenest 
spirits in heaven shall see nothing but puri- 
ty in our characters, forever. 

2. It enters into salvation, that there be a 
resurrection of the body; for the ruinous re* 
suits of death can never be considered as 
wholly removed so long as the body lies 
humbled in the grave ; and there are, I con- 
ceive, more exquisite pleasures provided for, 
in the union of the glorified body and spirit, 
than the spirit could be capable of alone. 
Christ shall effect this. One object of his 
coming is, " to change our vile bodies that 
he may fashion them like unto his own glo- 
rious body." 



SERMON II. 



325 



In virtue of that mighty power, whereby 
he is able to subdue all things unto himself 
—he shall summon them 66 from the deep 
earth and deeper seas," and they shall 
all be seen standing perfect before him. 
There will be, at least, an identifying resem- 
blance between those bodies that were bu- 
ried and those that are now seen : Oh ! then, 
believers, you shall behold again your de- 
parted companions, your parents, your broth* 
ers, your sisters, and all your dear kindred, 
who have died in the Lord ; and you shall 
know, and admire, and love them with im- 
measurable elevation of dignity and of so- 
lace forever. The soul and body of every 
believer shall re-unite — the pains, the tears, 
the parting agonies, shall be forgotten — 
death, cruel spoiler, shall let go his last 
grasp on his victims : with his own empty 
grave he shall be cast into hell, and a mil- 
lion happy spirits shout over his ruin — ? 
" thanks be to God, which giveth us the vic- 
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Finally^ it enters into perfect salvation, 
that there should be an utter destruction of all 
the church's and Redeemer's enemies ; and this 
too will be accomplished by Christ, when he 
comes the second time without sin. 



28 



326 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS* 



This destruction will indeed be prior* in 
the order of events, to the resurrection of 
the dead and the acceptance of the believ- 
er, already considered ; but it will be supe- 
riour in point of magnitude, and is therefore 
properly placed last* 

What is it that the church has been look- 
ing and prating for* ever since sin entered 
and there was a church to suffer and to 
pray ? what is it that the heart of every 
desponding saint has fastened upon^ or look- 
ed for in the language of our text, as a prop 
for hope, when viewing the desolations of 
death and sin? what is it that the whole 
creation has been groaning and travelling for 
in pain until now ? what if it be not this con- 
summation — the adoption of our bodies, and 
tlie overthrow of all her enemies by Christ ? 
This it is which we intend by the perfect- 
ing of salvation: this for which Christ shall 
come at his second appearing. He shall ap- 
pear^ at the close of time, to overthrow and 
crush that last and terrible attempt of men 
and devils, to destroy the church of God s 
he shall tread the wine press of almighty 
wrath : he shall drive the wicked to hell 
with one arm of his omnipotence, and with 
the other lift up the millions of his stiouting 
saints, to place them at the marriage supper 



SERMON It. 



327 



of the Lamb. Then shall come to pass that 
which is written, « that the armies of heav* 
en follow him on white horses, clothed in 
fine linen, white and clean." There shall 
they recline on golden couches — feast on 
the food of angels — soothe their weary souls 
with songs, and with ten thousand, thousand, 
holier, happier spirits, ascribe their victo- 
ries to the Lamb ! This will be salvation : 
this will complete the work for which Christ 
will be seen a second time by those that 
look for his appearance. If we have now 
been able to see how the second case in 
man's destiny is provided for by Christ, we 
are prepared to draw some practical infer- 
ences from our subject. And 

K In what a glorious attitude does it present the 
person and character of our Redeemer. It pre» 
sents him as the conqueror of death and the sin- 
ner*$ friend in judgment ! 

The world has long been supposed to be 
infested with monsters, and those imaginary 
heroes, who destroyed them, were deemed 
the benefactors of mankind* But death, my 
friends, is the worst of monsters — the ef- 
fects of his power, at least, are real ; and 
we have seen all human good withering and 
fainting before it for ages. How then shall 
we sufficiently rejoice in a Saviour, who has 



328 ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



conquered death ! We have seen the fact, 
and we have seen the explanation of the 
fact — how it is that an all-powerful Redeemer 
takes away the curse of death — deprives 
the monster of his sting — lifts off his heavy 
hand from the dying bosom- — scatters the 
gloom of the grave — raises us above humaa 
sympathies and human pain, and opens a 
vista into eternal worlds — beaming blessed- 
ness into the soul, even on this side the 
grave. Already death is conquered by 
Christ ; but this is not all : he attends the 
departing spirit in her untried flight — he ap- 
pears her friend in judgment — he announces 
her justification — he raises her humbled 
dust— he destroys her enemies, and elevates 
her to the marriage supper of the Lamb ! 
Is not Christ the all svfficient ! is he not glo* 
rious ! 

" Our Lord is risen from the dead, 

Our Jesus has gone up on high ; 
The powers of hell are captive led, 

Dragg'd to the portals of the sky. 

There his triumphal chariot waits, 

And angels chant the solemn lay : 
H Lift up your heads, ye heav'nly gates, 

" Ye everlasting doors give way !" 



Loose all your massy bars of light, 
And wide unfold the radiant scene ; 



SERMON If. 



329 



He claims those mansions as his right, 
Receive the King of glory in. 

i4 Who is the King of glory, who 
The Lord that all his foes overcame, 

The world, sin, death, and hell o'erthrew ; 
And Jesus is the conqueror's name." 

2. What abundant consolation is offered by stick 
a view of Christ, to the afflicted and disconsolate ! 
Surely death presents the greatest of trials 
which perta'n to our earthly nature; and if 
Christ can overcome these, we may reason 
with safety, that he will not fail us in any other. 
How often have we seemed to hear him sav 
to his dying children, " fear not to go down in 
to the grave ; for I wHl be with thee, I will up- 
hold thee ; yea, I will comfort thee, and bring 
thee up thence, saith the Lord thy Redeem- 
er!" Will he be less kind to the living! 
As their wants are, shall not his loving kind* 
ness be ? The conqueror of death — the 
friend in judgment — oh ! surely he will nev- 
er, never forsake thee ; and according to the 
nature and necessities of thy trials, a portion 
shall be provided. In all your ways, honour 
him. theretore, and " trust in him at ali 
times ; pour out your hearts before him ; 
God is a refuge for us." " He shall deliver 
thee in six troubles; yea in seven, there shall 
no evil come near thee." " Trust and tear 

28* 



330 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS, 



him in the days of your youth, and he will 
not cast you off in old age, neither forsake 
you when your strength faileth." Trust 
Christ, if you tremble and fear, on account 
of having neglected his grace so long, and you 
shall find he is able to save to the uttermost, 
even of your case : trust Christ, if doubts and 
fears assail you, lest you never knew the 
grace of God : trust him if you fear you are 
soon to die, and are not assured*Df your pre- 
paration : trust Christ if you have long 
mourned for conscious sin, and never felt the 
sweets of forgiving love : seek and trust 
Christ ; for he has " once offered himself to 
bear the sins of many ; and to them that 
look for him, he shall appear a second time 
without sin unto salvation.*' Faith, however, 
we have seen to be indispensable, in ap- 
prehending these comforts ; and we feel 
bound, therefore, in conclusion, to draw one 
more inference, that the word spoken may 
administer a portion to all. 

3. The subject teaches us who those are, 
or whom Christ offered himself, and for 
^whom he shall appear. They are those 
who look for him ; (i. e.) those who having 
looked to him for salvation already, accor- 
ding to the evangelical invitation, are then 
looking with expectation and delight for 



SERMON If. 



331 



his second appearance. They are the ma- 
hy for whom he offered himself, in oppo- 
sition to the all who must die once and go 
to judgment. 

There w r as a sense in which Christ offer- 
ed himself for some, that he did not for oth- 
ers ; and that distinction is made manifest 
to us, when some, or many, believe on him, 
while others regard him not. Here then is 
the practical distinction, and the condition 
for the consolations of our text. He will 
appear without sin unto salvation unto them 
who believe on him, or look for his coming. 
How anxious ought we to be then, until we 
exhibit that evidence ! how sedulously should 
we strive to look for Christ ! 

One thing is certain, by universal consent : 
We are all dying : we do feel the pressure of 
affliction : we do, therefore, come within the 
condition, as to wants, which led the apostle 
to announce the provisions of our text. Now 
let us be entreated to settle, at least, one 
question. Is the revelation of Jesus Christ 
true or not ? and because, if not, I wish to 
know what other hope there is for fallen 
man ! Death and sorrow are evils, painful, 
pressing evils — we cannot avoid them — they 
crowd around us, and w T hat shall we do ! 



332 



ADDITIONAL SERMONS. 



what ray of light shall break the horrid 
shade ! how shall we know, how shall we 
endure to take the fearful leap into a 
future existence: if we do not find our direc- 
tion in the gospel ! Is it not worth examin- 
ing then, whether it be true ? It is, you will 
allow, possible that religion may be a reali- 
ty, and if it be, 'tis worth a whole life of re- 
search—His worthy of the most deep and 
patient examination, until you determine the 
point. 

No man ought to rest — no man, whatever 
his case or condition be, can consistently 
rest, until he is satisfied whether religion be 
true, and whether he po-sess it. How dare 
he rest ; 'tis certainly this or nothing. With- 
out Christ, we walk on the verge of a dark 
and bottomless gulf, where thousands are 
plunging every day — some from our very 
households and bed-chambers, who never 
return, and who are gone, spite of all our 
tears and waitings, we know not whither ! Is 
it not worth inquiry, at least, whether to 
such a gulf there is a bottom or shore ? or 
whether there be a friend to conduct us 
through it ? Can we at times forbear to 
make this inquiry; and if we do, how can 
we rest till we are satisfied ? 



SERMON II. 333 

Now may the Lord add his blessing to 
all our feeble attempts to impress the truths 
of his word ; and to his name shall be the 
glory through Christ Amen. 



ERR ATI, 



The writer of the preceding lectures having been prevented 
Iby severe sickness from attending to the greater part of the prin» 
iing, the following typographical errors, among some others of 
minor consequence, have occurred ; 

page IBO, 7th line from top, for presents read prevents, 

163, 1 1th from bottom, for soon read sure. 

165, 1st at top, for fullness read freshness. 

177, 14th from bottom, who is superfluous. 

202, 8th from bottom, for something read same thing. 

209, last line at bottom, for an read on. 

213, 7th from bottom, after only insert He* 

221, 4th from top, for comment read commencement. 

223, 2d from top, iov per serving read persevering* 

235, 5th from top, for arose read arise. 

267, 14th from top, for facts read acts. 

282, 9th from top, for as read for. 

300, 9th from bottom, for even read wan. 



I 







* 




